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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29484393">Bring Your Son to War Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshine_3/pseuds/Sunshine_3'>Sunshine_3</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amputation, Angst, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), But like more real life than actual minecraft, Canon-Typical Violence, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Explicit Language, Fatherinnit, Fluff, God I love that tag, Happy Ending, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, I mean it’s Tommy what do you expect, Injury, PirateInnit, Protective TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Runaway TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma, Various medical inaccuracies that we will ignore, Video Game Mechanics, Young Ranboo, and no I will not be taking criticism, c!dream is a bitch, self-deprication, wholesome shit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:15:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>51,898</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29484393</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshine_3/pseuds/Sunshine_3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy is fed up with exile. So he runs away, but not to Techno.</p><p>Instead, he sets out on his own, searching for a future brighter than the past he left behind.</p><p>——————</p><p>Tommy gets the hell outta dodge and picks up a new sidekick <em>*cough*</em> son<em>*cough*</em> along the way.</p><p>Inspired by to be a wanderer, wandering by ghostbandaids because it’s a god-tier work</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ranboo &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3233</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Completed works that I would most likely come back to when feeling nostalgic, Dream SMP Fics (Mainly Tommy (Yeah I'm That Bitch)), Purrsonal Picks, Run Boy Run</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28410378">to be a wanderer, wandering</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostbandaids/pseuds/ghostbandaids">ghostbandaids</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am back with another work that is actually for once planned out, and I am so excited to write this one. It’s been living in my head rent free, you guys have no idea.</p><p>Incase you haven’t noticed, I am still not over the exile arc, and never will be over said exile arc. </p><p>Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?</p><p>TW for some suicidal thoughts, it’s pretty brief and not graphic, but just in case :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was salt on his tongue again. His lungs were screaming for air and his vision swam with brine, but Tommy couldn’t focus on anything but the salt. It made his throat burn and his tongue feel numb, and made his teeth feel chalky.</p><p>He hated it. </p><p>He hated it almost as much as he hated waking up every morning in the process of drowning himself.</p><p>Thrashing, Tommy dragged himself to the surface, gasping for air as his head broke the waves. There was a struggle to stay afloat, exhaustion dragging him down like an anchor despite having just woken up. He attempted to clear the fog from his head and the nightmares of the previous night from his mind, making a break for the shore.</p><p>A poor imitation of a crawl stroke later, Tommy lay panting on the sand, skin tight with salt and hair damp and gritty. The sky above was clear for once, the sun beating down on his pale skin, warming it, drying his stiff clothes.</p><p>Somehow, Tommy still felt cold.</p><p>He lay there for the better part of the morning, unable to convince his weary body to get up. It’s not like there was anything to take care of, anyways. Dream was gone for the rest of the week, he had told Tommy that the day before. No one had come to his party, and he hadn’t seen Ghostbur since the day he left with the invitations. There was no one to visit or chat with, no goal to reach for.</p><p>So for hours, Tommy contented himself with laying upon the sand, waves lapping at his feet, sun burning his skin. He spent so long staring at the sky, gaze unfocused, that the blue had since turned purple and swirled with strange lights at the edges, obscuring his vision.</p><p>Tommy’s stomach growled. He ignored it.</p><p>The sun crept overhead, and by now his hair was dry, crusted with sand and salt, itching uncomfortably. He ignored it.</p><p>It wasn’t until the sun was nearing its peak that Tommy moved. He only did so on account of his throat becoming so dry it hurt to swallow, sticking together and feeling raw after the onslaught of ocean water.</p><p>He stumbled to his tent, halfheartedly brushing off the sand on his way, slumping to the floor next to the storage chest and pulling out a bottle of water from it. Tommy sat there, sipping the water and wondering what the hell he was still doing on this earth.</p><p>No one needed him. No one <em>wanted</em> him. The lack of visitors made that painfully clear.</p><p>Even Dream, who seemed like a friend, someone Tommy could rely on, told Tommy how much of a pain he was to interact with. That he was tiring, and annoying, and unnecessary. Tommy couldn’t help but agree.</p><p>He sighed, letting his head fall back against the chest with a dull thump. The empty bottle dropped from his hand, and he watched it roll lazily across the floor, thumping against the handle of his shoddy iron axe. He stared at it.</p><p>“Could do with a bit o’ productivity, I guess,” he murmured, pulling the axe towards him and pushing to his feet. He made his way toward the tree line, having made up his mind to waste the rest of the daylight chopping trees to get wood he didn’t need. It beat staring at the white walls of his tent, anyways.</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>Tommy took it back. Staring at the walls would have been significantly better than this. He shifted uncomfortably on his rickety bed, leg throbbing in response to the movement. </p><p>Somehow, he had lost track of time out in he woods and night had snuck up on him. The mobs came and caught him off guard, and he had barely made it back to the light of the torches in one piece. His clothes were singed even more than before due to creeper explosions, and there was a nasty gash spanning from the center of his left calf to the top of his knee, curtesy of a zombie he had been too slow to dodge.</p><p>He had wrapped the injury to the best of his ability with the meager first aid supplies he had on hand, but at this rate he would be surprised if it <em>didn’t</em> get infected. Zombie wounds were annoying like that. </p><p>Tommy rolled over again, leg pulsing in protest. He sighed. Dream wouldn’t be back for at least  five more days. He had five more days to lay here, alone, hurting. And after that, who knows when Dream would bother to show up next.</p><p>All Tommy had was the promise of eternity out here, no Tubbo, no Ghostbur, no one but himself as company.</p><p> <em>And one else to blame.</em></p><p>With that dreary thought, Tommy let himself drift into an uneasy sleep.</p><p> </p><p>—————————</p><p> </p><p>Salt. Again.</p><p>Except this time, it was so much worse. Tommy’s eyes flew open, a muffled scream bubbling out of his mouth as he woke. The wound on his leg <em>burned</em>, stinging like hell from the seawater.</p><p>He choked, scrambling for the surface, leg screaming at him as he kicked desperately toward the shore. Tommy spluttered, sucking in air, hardly keeping his head above the waves. The sand crumbled in his hands as he dragged his body from the surf and laid there, trembling.</p><p>“I can’t do this anymore,” he croaked, words lost in the pounding of the waves on the shore. “I can’t...I’m so <em>sick</em> of this shit.”</p><p>Pushing up onto his forearms, he maneuvered himself upright, glancing down at his leg. The poorly wound bandages had sagged off, revealing red, inflamed skin. With a grimace, Tommy looked away, letting his gaze drift to the horizon.</p><p>He couldn’t go back home, as much as he longed to. He couldn’t leave Logsted, not by land at least- the risk of Dream being able to track him was too great. As grateful as Tommy was for his friend, something in his gut told him Dream would be very upset if he discovered Tommy had left, and the last thing Tommy wanted was for an angry Dream to track him down.</p><p>But he couldn’t stay here, either. One more day of waking up with searing lungs and salt on his tongue, and he wasn’t going to bother swimming back to shore. He knew that, knew he was on his way out from the beginning, and tomorrow was as good a day as any.</p><p>Aching, Tommy’s gaze dropped to the waves lapping at his feet. There was one more option, as hesitant as he was to take it.</p><p>Dream couldn’t track him over water, no one could. He could leave, he could find somewhere else to live that wasn’t so damn suffocating all the time.</p><p><em>It’s not like anyone will miss me, anyways,</em> He thought bitterly. <em>Those assholes won’t even know I’m gone.</em></p><p>The longer he sat there, the more the idea grew on him, and Tommy settled into his resolve. He had a surplus of wood from yesterday, making a boat would be easy. Sure, he wasn’t the best navigator or sailor on the planet, but it’s not like he needed to get somewhere specific, just far enough away from this hellhole. And if Tommy was good at one thing, it was taking things further than they should go.</p><p>With a grunt, Tommy pushed himself to his feet, careful not to put too much weight onto his left leg, which felt uncomfortably warm and a little stiff.</p><p>Before the sun had peaked, he was ready to go. The small boat he had crafted was waiting on the beach, stacked with his meager belongings. Tnret sat empty, chest hollow, the rickety, uncomfortable bed the only other thing left behind. </p><p>Tommy climbed into the boat and paused, lifting his enchanted compass from his shirt by the chain. He turned it over in his palm, running his thumb over the familiar engraving on the back.</p><p>He looked up, squinting through the bright, noontime sun toward the direction of L’Manburg. Toward home. Toward everyone he had ever loved, still loved.</p><p>
  <em>Everyone who didn’t love him.</em>
</p><p>“Goodbye Tubbo,” he whispered, throat tight.</p><p>The compass dropped back down his shirt and Tommy pushed off. His back faced Logsteadshire, front faced freedom, hope.</p><p>The wind caught his sails, and the boat left the bay.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>At first, sailing had been peaceful, a cool breeze brushing his face, the sun warming his skin, glinting gold on the water.</p><p>And then the clouds appeared on the horizon. </p><p>Tommy watched them approach warily, hoping uselessly that they would turn some other way, would leave him alone. They only crept closer, growing darker. The ominous rumbled of thunder echoed across the waves.</p><p>Tommy gingerly stretched out his leg, wincing with the movement. It was definitely infected, no doubt about that. The edges of the wound were puffy and hot to the touch, and it smelled bad after baking in the sun all morning. The dunk in the ocean hadn’t done the injury any favors, either. He attempted to re-wrap it, glancing up at the approaching storm every few minutes.</p><p>By the time he had finished, rain was pattering on the deck, the sky darkening quickly. Gritting his teeth, Tommy stood, adjusting the rudder as the waves grew in size. The wind began to whistle through the sails, battering the mast. Tommy scanned the horizon, looking for a smudge of visible land.</p><p>There, off to his right. A long, low shadow. He pulled on the rudder, struggling to keep his grip on the slick wood. The rain poured down harder, and lighting flashed overhead.</p><p>The small boat struggled over the waves, crawling up one side and tumbling down the other, sending jolts through Tommy’s already sore body with each crest. He pushed the sodden hair out of his eyes, squinting through the rain, trying to stay on course. Was he still getting closer to the land, or was that just another bank of clouds?</p><p>It was so terrifyingly dark. </p><p>Minutes passed, and Tommy began to feel light headed, leg sending a wave of pain up his side with each jerk of the boat. His mouth somehow felt dry despite the torrent of rain lashing at his skin. </p><p>Was that the rain making everything blurry, or was something wrong with his eyes?</p><p>A close crack of lighting lit up the sky, illuminating a massive wave rolling toward the boat. Struggling, Tommy yanked in the rudder, desperate to keep the boat on course. The wind howled, ripping at the sails, and Tommy held onto the rudder with a white-knuckled grip as the boat crested the wave.</p><p>It slammed down on the other side, jarring his bones. There was a strange snapping noise, and sluggishly Tommy turned toward the sound just in time to see a rope break. The sails fluttered, one side going slack, and foolishly Tommy lunged for the rope, trying to catch it before the wind whisked it away.</p><p>He failed to account for his leg, which locked up in protest and Tommy stumbled, sliding on the slick deck. The boat crested another wave, tilting crazily, and Tommy plunged overboard.</p><p>The water was shockingly cold. Tommy sank, head fuzzy, watching the frothing water pulse with flashes of lighting.</p><p>He had the time to think <em>I fucking hate the ocean</em> before darkness overtook his vision and he lost consciousness.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Thump. Thump. Thump.</em>
</p><p>Tommy gingerly pried one eye open, head pounding. His lungs ached.</p><p>
  <em>Thump. Thump. Tha-thump.</em>
</p><p>Tommy forced the other eye open, blinking away the blurriness and craning his neck, looking for the source of the sound.</p><p>
  <em>Thump. Thump.</em>
</p><p>There was a child sitting on a nearby chest, whose legs were gently swinging back and forth, kicking the wooden box. Upon noticing Tommy’s movement, the kicking stopped. </p><p>Tommy stared at the kid. A set of green and red eyes stared right back, peeking out from behind messy, weirdly monochromatic hair. </p><p>“Hi!” The kid suddenly chirped, sounding very young for how tall he was. Tommy said nothing, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. He looked around the room, the wooden planks, chests and haphazard medical supplies strewn about. All of it was unfamiliar.</p><p>
  <em>Where the hell am I? What happened to-</em>
</p><p>“Are you a pirate?”</p><p>All thought processes screeched to a halt as Tommy turned back, gaping at the strange looking kid.</p><p>“Am I a <em>what</em>?”</p><p>The kid shrunk back a little, fidgeting, but his eyes were still bright with curiosity. “A pirate. They have ships, you know? You were in a shipwreck, I think. They found you on the beach and Miss Clara said your boat must’ve sunk, plus now you’re missing a leg so you can have one of those pegs!”</p><p>Tommy opened his mouth to respond and froze, the last sentence sinking in. His eyes flicked down to look at the pile of blankets in his lap. <em>Missing a-</em></p><p>“Do you have a parrot?”</p><p>Hand reaching for the blankets, he paused again, hovering over them. He looked up at the kid, bewildered. </p><p>“What the fuck? No, I do not have a <em>parrot</em>. I’m not a pirate!”</p><p>The kid’s face fell, and he shrunk back a little bit. “Oh,” he said, shoulders scrunched up by his strangely pointy ears. “Sorry.”</p><p>Tommy scoffed, turning his attention back to his lap, dread coiling in his gut. With shaking hands, he reached out and lifted the blanket off of his worryingly numb leg. </p><p>(Really, he already knew what he was going to find. Tommy just refused to believe it- didn’t <em>want</em> to believe it.)</p><p>He blew out a shaky breath at the sight that greeted him, tears quickly clouding his vision. His left leg was gone, from the lower part of his thigh all the way down. <em>His left leg was gone. <strong>His left leg was </strong></em><strong>gone-</strong></p><p>“<em>Fuck</em>,” he whispered, reaching a trembling hand out to touch the stump, hissing at the ache that came with the touch. The skin was still tender.</p><p>There was a thump as the kid slid off the chest, coming over to stand nervously next to the bed. Tommy ignored him, fingers pressing harder into the skin of his stump, breaths coming faster as tears slid down his face. </p><p>“FUCK!”</p><p>There were little, clawed hands on his, gently pulling them away from his leg. “Sorry Mr. Pirate, but uh... well, Miss Clara told me to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself and that looked painful so I gotta move your hands- sorry, really sorry,” the kid rambled quietly, holding Tommy’s hands in his own.</p><p>Tommy slumped back into the pillows, overwhelmed and exhausted already, giving the kid a halfhearted glare through the tears. “I told you, ‘m not a fuckin’ pirate.”</p><p>The kid giggled, slowly sitting down on the edge of the bed, careful to give him space. “Okay, if you say so.”</p><p>“‘M not.”</p><p>And with that convincing argument, Tommy passed the fuck back out, his touch-starved mind locked onto the feeling of his hands in someone else’s.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>Thousands of blocks and an ocean away, a torn bandana, having been carried by the raging waves and strong currents of by a storm since passed, washed back onto the shores of Logstedshire.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That’s the first chapter, folks! And boy am I pleased with that interaction the end, I screwed myself over in Pre-Calc for it but it was so worth it.</p><p>If you’ve been here before, you know how my update schedule is (for new people, here’s a hint: it doesn’t exist), but there’ll be more chapters at some point.</p><p>Thanks for reading everyone!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tommy learns more about this weird kid who insists on hanging out with him.</p><p>Time passes, and he starts to heal.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi uh thank you for all the sweet comments and kudos on this? I did not expect this work to get much attention and afjkfahjf you guys are too kind</p><p>I would like to preface this chapter with the fact that I did absolutely not research for this whatsoever, so if the prosthetic part is entirely inaccurate that is why</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Tommy woke up again the ache in his lungs was gone, chest no longer sore with every intake of breath. A glance to his left showed that the lighting in the room had changed, dimmer than before. He assumed it had become night by now. Lit torches placed on the walls and scattered candles cast a warm glow about the room, shadows soft and strangely comforting. </p><p>He tilted his head down towards the foot of the bed, somehow unsurprised to see black and white hair sticking up over the edge of the mattress. It appeared the odd kid from before hadn’t left, despite how unentertaining he knew comatose people to be.</p><p>“Do you really have nothing better to do than hover around a sleeping person? That’s creepy, you know.” His words came out all gravelly and dry, and Tommy realized just how thirsty he was. </p><p>The head of hair jolted in surprise at the sound, whipping around to stare at Tommy, multicolored eyes gleaming in the low light. “Uh, well-“ the kid sputtered, looking confused, “I don’t think so?”</p><p>Tommy smirked. “You don’t think you have anything better to do, or you don’t think it’s creepy?”</p><p>“Uh, the first one? I think.”</p><p>He laughed dryly. “That conversation shouldn’t have needed that much thinkin’ little man, but alright.” Tommy struggled to sit up, untangling himself from the blankets, pretending he had more limbs to manage than he did. “You have some water around here? ‘M fuckin’ thirsty.”</p><p>The kid nodded quickly, jumping to his feet. There was a small leather journal in his hands, which he held tight to his chest. “I’ll be right back. Don’t worry Mr. Pirate!”</p><p>“I’m not a-“ </p><p>The kid was already out the door. </p><p><em>Damn, he’s fast</em>, he thought absentmindedly, leaning back a bit and fiddling with his shirt. It wasn’t his iconic red and white one, whoever this “Miss Clara” person was must’ve seen the state of it and done away with the shirt. Strangely, Tommy found he didn’t mind. This one was a nice sage green and soft to the touch, much better than his old shirt. New clothes for a new life, he supposed.</p><p>And that’s what this was, wasn’t it?</p><p>No one knew where he was. Not his enemies, his friends, his family. Hell, <em>he</em> had no clue. No one here knew his past, the wars he’d started, the mistakes he’d made, the people he’d hurt. Anonymity meant safety, and Tommy would gladly stay away from attention for once. The thought was almost comforting, that idea of being unknown. The only way his old life could find him here was if he made the decision to go back. </p><p>And he wasn’t going back home anytime soon, not with his leg like this. Tommy cringed. He’d have to re-learn how to <em>walk</em>, for god’s sake. Even most of the world’s toddlers could one-up him now. (Tommy tried not to think about how pathetic that was.) Hesitating, he lifted the blanket away from his leg to stare at it, unsure how to feel. </p><p>How <em>was</em> one supposed to feel upon waking up in some strange place, missing a limb and plagued by some nine-ish year old who keeps insisting you’re a pirate?</p><p>He didn’t know.</p><p>Tommy was drawn away from his existential questions by the creak of the door, and the kid padded back into the room, gently shutting it behind him. He came over to the bed, offering the glass bottle of water clutched in his hand. </p><p>Tommy took it gratefully, wanting badly to chug it but forcing himself to take sips, thoughts brought back to a lecture Wilbur gave him years ago after an afternoon spent too long in the sun.</p><p>
  <em>”For fuck’s sake Tommy, don’t chug it like that. You’ll get sick.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Says who?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Says science or something, I don’t know, dumbass. I just know that if you’re really dehydrated- No- Tommy, stop. No DON’T-“</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Cackling laugher rang out, rapidly followed by choking and coughing as the water went down the wrong way.</em>
</p><p>Tommy pushed the memory aside, not wanting to think about Wilbur right now. Instead, he focused back on the other occupant of the room, who had settled down at his foot. He was sitting cross legged, with that leather book resting in his lap. The kid had picked up a quill from the floor and was intently scribbling in it, tongue poking out from between little fangs as he focused on the words. Tommy nudged his shin. The kid looked up. </p><p>“I’m Tommy, by the way. Thought you should know so you can stop calling me a pirate, because I very clearly <em>am not one</em>.”</p><p>The kid nodded, glancing away for a second to carefully write something down. </p><p>Tommy kicked him again. “What’s yours?”</p><p>The writing paused, and he was cast a confused look. “Mine?”</p><p>“Your name.”</p><p>“Oh. It’s Ranboo.”</p><p>Tommy considered this. Strange name, for a strange kid. It seemed fitting. (Besides, he’d heard much weirder in his time hopping servers before the SMP.)</p><p>“Well, <em>Ranboo</em>, would you mind telling me what’s going on here? Mainly, how I got to this place and why my leg appears to be gone?”</p><p>Ranboo smiled at him, seemingly happy to share. He set down the quill, blowing on the inked page to dry it before thumbing back a couple pages, squinting at the scribbled words. “Well, the villagers found you about a week ago after that big storm on the beach. Your boat was all smashed up.” Ranboo glanced up, looking concerned. “You didn’t care too much about that boat, right? It’s really broken and I don’t think they can fix it-“</p><p>“It’s fine,” Tommy cut in. “Not important.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, worry appeased and continuing to read. “Your lungs had water in them, and your leg was all rotten from this cut on it.” Ranboo’s nose wrinkled at the apparently unpleasant memory. His voice dropped to a whisper. “They brought you in and Miss Clara said it had to go. They wouldn’t let me see until after the whole thing was done.” Ranboo closed the book, hugging it to his chest and looking at Tommy, something akin to sorrow in his eyes.</p><p><em>Boy, does this kid get emotional,</em> he thought, feeling almost touched by how much Ranboo seemed to care about him, despite the fact that they’d hardly interacted at all.</p><p>“Question.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded.</p><p>“Why are you here? Why is some child hanging out with a random patient, or whatever. Don’t you have parents or something?”</p><p>The kid’s face fell, and he looked away. “I- I don’t remember,” he whispered.</p><p>Tommy paused at that, conscious enough to know that he had struck a nerve. He felt a little guilty, not wanting to have upset the kid. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to pry. Was jus’ curious.”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head, still looking away. “I don’t- I don’t remember much,” he looked down, taking a deep breath. “That’s why Miss Clara gave me this book,” and he held it up, soft leather glowing dully in the dim candle light. “She told me to write everything down, so I won’t forget. And it works! I remember stuff better now!” He grinned up at Tommy.</p><p>“Smart,” Tommy praised, giving little smile of his own at Ranboo’s enthusiasm, and quickly hiding it.</p><p>
  <em>What the fuck?</em>
</p><p><em>Why was he proud, he had literally </em>just<em> met the kid.</em></p><p>
  <em>Damn his too big heart. </em>
</p><p>Tommy hummed, reaching out a hand. “Do you mind if I take a look?”</p><p>Ranboo hesitated, chewing his lip. Tommy waited patiently, deciding not to push him if he didn’t want to share. He knew deeply the importance of an object, the instinct to keep something to yourself to protect it. Slowly, the book was set in his hands, and he shot the kid a grateful smile.</p><p>Tommy flipped open to the first page and blinked. He squinted at the writing, bringing it closer to his face to double check that it wasn’t the low lighting tricking his eyes. “Ranboo,” he said slowly. “This is written in Ender.” </p><p>He glanced up from the page to see Ranboo fidgeting, giving him a sheepish grin. Tommy studied him, taking in the dark, purplish skin, almost glowing green eye, strange height and clawed hands. It clicked. </p><p>“Huh,” he muttered, looking back down at the book. <em>Ender hybrid. Should probably have seen that one coming.</em> He continued flipping through the book, noticing phrases written in shaky English in later pages, with less and less Ender as the book went on. </p><p>Ranboo yawned, drooping a little before jerking himself back up, blinking slowly. Tommy glanced at him, debating with himself. </p><p>He had just met the strange, mildly bothersome kid, but Ranboo seemed nice enough. He wasn’t about to get attached or anything, though. Tommy couldn’t afford that. Exile had cut his ties for him, preventing him from hurting anyone else. It prevented <em>them</em> from betraying him like they always did over and over because you can’t be betrayed when there’s no one left to betray you, after all. Ranboo seemed sincere, kind even. He was a <em>child</em>, for God’s sake, it shouldn’t be this deep. But the taste of salt on his tongue was too sharp, the memory of being thrown off of obsidian walls was too fresh. He couldn’t get attached. He <em>wouldn’t</em>.</p><p>But he could return the favor of Ranboo entrusting him with the memory book. He could pay back that kindness. </p><p>It was the least he could do.</p><p>With a sigh, Tommy reached behind him and grabbed a pillow, tossing it onto the bed by his foot. He tugged one of the blankets out from underneath him, piling it next to the pillow. Ranboo followed the movement, confusion written across his face.</p><p>Tommy jerked his chin toward the pillow. “You’re tired. Get some sleep, I won’t murder you, promise.”</p><p>Ranboo’s eyes shone. Beaming at him, the kid let out another massive yawn, jaw unhinging far further than it should go. He practically face planted into the pillow, snuggling into the blanket until only his poofy hair was visible. For such an abnormally gangly and tall kid, he took up only a small portion of the bed with how tightly he had curled up. </p><p>Tommy huffed, amused, and returned to trying to decipher the scribblings in the book, basking in the dim flames of the torches and the quiet of the room. Unlike in exile, it was a comfortable silence, one punctuated by Ranboo’s slow breaths and the dry rustle of paper.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>The morning after Ranboo slept in his bed, he had met the infamous Miss Clara, a kind, soft woman with eyes that shone like stars and a warm laugh. She had come in carrying a plate of food and a set of crutches, which Tommy had to force himself not to lunge at immediately. She gave him the food while checking on his injuries and making sure Ranboo hadn’t been too overbearing.</p><p>“He can be a little over enthusiastic sometimes,” she chuckled.</p><p>Ranboo had left when she came in upon request, rubbing his eyes as he stumbled away to go find breakfast, memory book safely restored to its rightful owner.</p><p>Tommy gave her a small grin. “He’s alright. Has a funny obsession with pirates, though.”</p><p>She nodded, humming. “That he does.” She glanced over at him, evaluating. Tommy tried not to squirm under her inquisitive gaze. “He really likes you, you know. Been obsessed with making sure you’re okay since the moment they brought you in, for whatever reason. I nearly had to shoo him out with my broom at one point so you could heal properly. He’s a curious one, Ranboo.”</p><p>Tommy just grunted, looking away. He tried not to feel guilty for his promise to keep the kid at arm’s length. He told himself that it wasn’t his fault some random kid had gotten so attached to him while he was <em>literally unconscious</em>, but his chest ached a little. He ignored it in favor for listening to Clara’s instructions on how to properly use the crutches.</p><p>Days passed, and Tommy grew stronger. The medicine Clara provided him helped to ease the tenderness of the new skin, and he quickly learned how to hobble about on his crutches properly. He spent most of his time now out on the front porch of the village infirmary, letting the cool sea breeze wash over his skin.</p><p>The building was set up a little ways from the center of the village, but from the porch Tommy could hear the sounds of life carry over the grasses. People shouting and calling to each other, laughing, living their lives. And while he knew none of them, Tommy basked in their existence, glad to be in a place with other people again, to be surrounded by them. </p><p>While the pain of his exile and the scars of his past would not fade, the ache in his chest when he thought about home grew duller. He brought out the Tubbo compass less often, opting to leave on the table in his room instead. </p><p>Tommy was moving on.</p><p>Another week passed. Tommy often woke up to a small body curled up at the foot of his bed, or the scratch of a quill on paper. Ranboo hardly left his side, babbling more often the longer they spent together, opening up. </p><p>Tommy would lie out in the tall grass of the bluffs overlooking the ocean, basking in the sun and the cool air, crutches carefully set beside him. Ranboo would sit nearby, sometimes chatting about random nonsense, other times remaining content with silence. The kid would sit and watch the sea birds sail overhead in the pale blue sky, or lean over to whisper about a particular shape in the clouds.</p><p>Tommy would hum in agreement and close his eyes, a mantra of <em>don’t get attached don’t get attached don’t get attached</em> playing in his head.</p><p>————————</p><p>Today, roughly a month since the shipwreck, Ranboo was teaching Tommy how to make a flower crown. Apparently, one of the village girls had taught him and he was trying to get good at it so he could make one for Clara.</p><p>So far, the kid had been unsuccessful in making one by himself. Tommy, on the other hand, had made a rough circlet out of the grasses and the small white flowers that grew on the shoreline, and it was currently sticking out of Ranboo’s messy hair. </p><p>He watched as Clara came up the path leading from the village, holding an oddly-shaped something in her arms. She reached the house and set it down on the porch, turning to call for him.</p><p>Tommy pulled himself to his feet, grabbing his crutches with a practiced ease. Ranboo set aside his poor weaving and jumped to his feet, steadying Tommy as he gained his footing. The two made their way over to the porch where Clara stood, grinning.</p><p>He caught sight of what was lying on the step and froze, gaping at it. Ranboo gasped and ran up to it, practically dancing around in excitement. Clara chuckled at Tommy’s gob-smacked expression.</p><p>“I commissioned the local artisans to make it for you. It’s not exactly perfection, but I think it’ll do.”</p><p>Tommy stumbled towards the step, hardly focusing on his walking, sitting down in front of it.</p><p>There, shining in the sun was a polished wooden leg, carefully shaped and carved with whorls and waves. There was soft fur padding the place where his stump was meant to rest, and the straps to hold it in place were a well-worked leather, carefully constructed to make it as comfortable to wear as possible.</p><p>It was beautiful.</p><p>Tommy sniffled, tearing up as he ran a hand over the carvings. “I-“ he choked out. “<em>Thank you.</em>”</p><p>Ranboo bounced up to his side, one hand holding onto his crown to ensure he wouldn’t lose it. “Put it on! Put it on!”</p><p>Clara chuckled, hushing him, moving over to sit next to Tommy on the steps. She helped him strap it on, repeating the introductions she was given by the maker so Tommy would remember how to do it himself.</p><p>Once finished, she stepped back, and Tommy picked up his crutches, hands trembling. He pushed himself to his feet and took a tentative step,  gingerly putting weight on the prosthetic, trying to get a feel for its movements.</p><p>Slowly, he began to pick up the pace, wobbling across the yard with an ever-growing grin on his face. Ranboo followed behind, cheering and throwing flower petals he had apparently squirreled away in his pockets.</p><p>Tommy made his way over to their spot on the bluff, careful to not trip on anything or overwork his leg. He reached the crest of the hill and let the breeze wash over him, looking out over the rolling waves, watching the sunlight sparkle on the water’s surface.</p><p>A clawed hand gripped the back of his shirt, and he glanced down at a beaming Ranboo, hair askew and full of grass and flowers shaken lose by his happy movements.</p><p>Tommy closed his eyes and tilted his face to the sky, tears streaming down his cheeks. He laughed, the sound intermingled with quiet sobs.</p><p>The sun was warm, and the breeze dried the tears.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you guys enjoyed this part! I was trying to get the plot moving a little, hopefully I didn’t drag on too long with the fluff at the start</p><p>Anyways, idk how I got another chapter done so fast, something in compelling me to get this done and I am not complaining, if the next one takes a million years I will not be suprised</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time passes some more. Tommy decides it's time to leave.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you guys so much for all of the comments on the last chapter! I have been absolutely speed running this work for no good reason because I'm so eager to continue this story for you guys and I now know it's definitely gonna be my longest work ever written, so that's exciting. </p><p>The timeline in this is probably very inaccurate to how long it takes an amputation to heal but I don't care. I just made up some numbers, so please don't come after me.</p><p>Hope you guys like this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time sailed by. </p><p>It had been about three months since Clara had come home with the prosthetic, a little over four since Tommy was brought in from the sea. </p><p>Tommy had grown used to the familiar weight of the wooden leg, now able to walk just fine without the aid of his crutches. There was still a bit of a limp to his gait, and he struggled to keep his balance in the soft earth following one of the many springtime rainstorms, but he was improving. If he was being honest, Ranboo was most likely the catalyst for this quick recovery, dragging him all over the place for some reason or another. Tommy got plenty of practice on his new leg, that was for sure. </p><p>During the day, the two spent hours outside in the fresh air, wandering along the shoreline, stuffing their pockets with interesting rocks and shells, bits of polished glass and driftwood. Clara had a glass jar full of their findings sitting on the porch. They never went too close to the surf, though. Ranboo couldn’t go near the water, something he explained to Tommy had to do with his Enderman heritage. Water would irritate his skin just by touching it, and so the kid avoided the tide like the plague. </p><p>That was just fine with Tommy, as not only was walking on sand with his leg difficult as hell, but the memory of waking up with burning lungs and thrashing through the waves with leaden limbs was enough to keep him safe on land. As time passed, the memory had faded and he became more comfortable with the ocean, but not enough to want to take a swim.</p><p>Whenever a particularly bad storm blew in from the sea, Clara was always flooded with work, tending to the fishermen who had been caught in the gale. Those days, the boys stayed inside, dutifully changing bandages or fetching water, willing to help in anyway they could. Clara was grateful for their help, and Tommy was just glad to ease the nagging guilt he felt for burdening her for so long with his care.</p><p>Sometimes at night he would still wake up screaming, phantom pains shooting up his left side, ears ringing with shouts and the blasts of TNT.</p><p>
  <em>Tommyinnit, you’re scared-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…want to be a hero, Tommy?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You couldn’t do one thing for me!</em>
</p><p>
  <em>-armor in the hole, Tommy.</em>
</p><p>In the darkness he would lie there, panting, clutching at the familiar blankets and trying to calm himself before he woke somebody up. More often than not, a light would flicker on under the door, which would open to reveal Clara holding a candle, Ranboo peeking out from behind her after having gone to get her. She would always shoo the kid away, sending him back to his own bed (which the kid spent less time in than he did in Tommy’s, at this point). Ranboo would listen, but not without a pout and a worried glance in Tommy’s direction. </p><p>Clara would enter and set down the candle, gently reminding him to breathe, that he was alright, there was nothing to fear. He would calm, thank her for her help and refuse her offer to stay with him before rolling onto his side to face the wall. Once she was gone, he’d attempt to force himself to go back to sleep, to move on from stupid fears of things that had happened <em>months</em> ago, for fuck’s sake-</p><p>Somehow, he felt worse when Clara came in, upset at himself for taking up her time. </p><p>Sure, Tommy knew she cared about him, and he cared about her just as much, but it wasn’t her job to deal with his shit, and it definitely wasn’t anything Ranboo should be involved in. He made sure of that. Whenever the kid quietly asked him where that particular scar had come from or why he cried in his sleep, he would just give him a glare or a stiff “None of your fuckin’ business, kid.” and Ranboo would begrudgingly leave it alone.</p><p>Tommy really liked the kid, he did. He was fun to be around, not to mention ridiculously sweet and kind. It was just that he had made a promise to himself on that first night Ranboo fell asleep with him that he wouldn’t get too attached, and Tommy was sure as hell going to keep that promise. </p><p>The easier it got to walk on his new leg, the more he began to itch to move on, leave behind the village, as fond of it as he was, and continue inland to explore this new realm.</p><p>He had come to terms with never returning home months ago. He knew Clara would understand his urge to continue on, to explore and stretch his limits, push the boundaries of the world now that he was free to do so. Ranboo, on the other hand, wouldn’t be so easy to convince. The kid would insist on following him to the ends of the earth, for whatever reason, and that couldn’t happen. He had to stay here, with Clara, where Tommy knew the hybrid would be safe and well taken care of.</p><p>More time passed, and spring was on its way out, the season approaching summer when he finally brought it up.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>They had been out in the yard, Tommy teaching Ranboo basic movements with a sword. They were using poor wooden imitations, for safety’s sake, but Ranboo couldn’t have been more excited about it. Ever since he had learned that Tommy was handy with a weapon (a comment he had let slip and regretted ever since, considering the kid wouldn’t stop badgering him out it), he had insisted that Tommy teach him.</p><p>Clara was monitoring from the porch, making sure things didn’t get out of hand while taking a break from her usual duties. </p><p>Tommy set his stance, feet apart, balanced. He was becoming rather good at using his new limb. As much as he missed his actual leg, the polished oak did look pretty fucking cool, he had to admit.</p><p>“Okay Ranboo,” he said, gesturing down at his feet. “Set your feet like this, about shoulder width. Make sure you’re balanced ’n shit, don’t put too much weight on one side. It’ll make you all tippy.”</p><p>The kid solemnly nodded, brow furrowed in concentration as he carefully mimicked Tommy’s stance. Once he thought he had it, Ranboo looked up at him for approval. Tommy nodded, and the kid’s face broke out in a smile.</p><p>“Right. If you really wanna learn this, defense is more important than offense for now. Because you are still a little man, and not a big man like me, I don’t expect you to be attacking people, so you’re just gonna learn to block. Alright?”</p><p>Ranboo nodded eagerly, raising his little wooden sword. </p><p>Tommy stepped forward, taking a slow swing down towards the kid’s left side. Ranboo moved to block it, shuffling his feet. </p><p>“Good.”</p><p>He swung a second time, this time on the kid’s right. Ranboo moved again, fumbling a little, but still meeting Tommy’s sword with his own.</p><p>They carried on like this, Tommy making controlled swings, Ranboo working to parry, face scrunched up with how focused he was. It was a little bit adorable, if Tommy was being honest. He picked up the pace of his movements, slowly increasing his speed until Ranboo was no longer able to keep up, and the little sword was knocked from his hand, the tip of Tommy’s against his chest.</p><p>He let the point drop, hand returning to his side. Tommy grinned. “Not bad, little man. Gotta say, I was much worse at this when I first started out. Got knocked flat on my ass within a minute.”</p><p>Ranboo laughed, picking his sword back up and running up to him. “Really?”</p><p>“Yup,” Tommy remarked, looking down at him. “My brother teased me about it for days, the bitch.”</p><p>“Did your brother teach you how to fight?”</p><p>“Naw, family friend did. Wil was better with words than a sword.”</p><p>Ranboo looked confused. “Who’s Wil?”</p><p>Tommy paused for a second, realizing what he’d said. He sighed. “That’s my brother. He was annoying, just like you.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Tommy laughed, ruffling Ranboo’s hair. “I’m kidding, he was much more of an ass than you, don’t worry.”</p><p>Ranboo hummed, considering this. His eyes lit up with mischief, and he grabbed Tommy’s retreating hand. “Was he a pirate too?”</p><p>Tommy groaned. “If you say that one more time, I swear I will stab you-“</p><p>Ranboo giggled, tugging on his arm. “It’s true!”</p><p>“It’s really not.”</p><p>“It is! You’ve got the peg leg and the sword and the compass and a ship… well you had a ship but it sank- but see, pirate!”</p><p>Suddenly, Tommy dropped his sword, lunging at Ranboo and throwing him over his shoulder, the kid hanging upside down. Small hands pounded on his back in protest, but Tommy could feel him laughing. He gave the kid a shake. “Take it back, Ranboo.”</p><p>“No!”</p><p>“Take it back, or you’ll be stuck like this until all the blood goes to your head and it explodes.”</p><p>The squirming paused.</p><p> “…It can do that?”</p><p>Tommy fucking lost it, cackling so hard he had to let Ranboo down, unable to keep his grip. The kid looked offended for a second before joining in, falling into a fit of giggles. Tommy eventually caught his breath, taking deep inhales to calm himself. </p><p>“Nope,” he wheezed. “Spontaneous combustion doesn’t typically occur, hate to break it to you.”</p><p>Ranboo punched him on the shoulder. “You’re mean.”</p><p>Tommy laughed again, gathering up the wooden swords and starting back toward the house. Ranboo followed, racing ahead. They made it to the porch, where Clara was sipping from a mug of tea, smiling at their antics. Tommy set down the swords, falling down next to her on the steps. Ranboo flopped down next to him for a split second before bouncing back to his feet.</p><p>“Wait! I have something for you, I’ll be right back!” The kid turned and dashed into the house, hardly giving the door time to open before he was already through it. Clara laughed.</p><p>Tommy just shook his head, grinning. The two looked out over the grasses, comfortable. Clara took another sip of her tea, humming thoughtfully.</p><p>“You know,” she said, breaking the brief silence. “You’re getting pretty good on that leg of yours.”</p><p>“Thanks,” Tommy said, still looking out. He was debating bring it up, the idea of leaving, now that Ranboo was gone for a moment. He had been feeling it too, the confidence he had in his own limbs again.</p><p>“You’d be safe to leave, if you want.”</p><p>Tommy startled, whipping his head around to look at her.</p><p>She chuckled at the reaction. “Don’t act so surprised. I’ve seen you looking at the road, practically longing to leave. You’ve been slowly stashing things away too, over the past couple of days.”</p><p>He could feel his ears heat up. “That’s, uh… well,” he laughed sheepishly. “Yeah.”</p><p>Clara set down the tea, placing a hand on his arm. “It’s fine, Tommy. You’re young, not ready to stay in a place that isn’t your home by choice. I won’t be offended if you leave. But,” she gave him a kind smile. “I’m not going to force you out, either. You’ve always been welcome here, and always will be. It’s your choice.”</p><p>Tommy gave her a grateful smile, blinking back the tears in his eyes. “Thank you,” he whispered, turning back toward the yard. “I- I think it’s best if I go. I’ve loved staying here, I really have. It’s just-“</p><p>She shook her head. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me. It’s alright.”</p><p>He paused for a minute, considering. “What about Ranboo?”</p><p>“What about him?”</p><p>“Well, he won’t leave me alone, the fuckin’ menace. But I can’t bring him with me, it’s not safe.” He glanced over at Clara, trying to make sure she understood his sincerity. “He can stay here, right?”</p><p>Clara sighed, nodding. “He was here for a while before you showed up, and I’ve never been upset by the idea of taking care of him. It’s not me you have to convince, though, it’ll be him. Ranboo isn’t going to want to stay behind, I’m sure you know that. He cares about you too much to not put up a fight.”</p><p>“Yeah,” he murmured. The kid had to stay. Tommy couldn’t risk taking him along. It wasn’t fair to Ranboo to drag him into the unstable world of a nomad, one Tommy was all too familiar with in the time before Phil had taken him in, and again when he was hopping servers before he landed in this one. Tommy hadn’t become that attached to the kid, he would be fine leaving him behind.</p><p>He would. </p><p>
  <em>He had to be.</em>
</p><p>Moments later, the door banged open again, Ranboo flying through it. Clutched in his claws was a brown hat, the brim pinned up into the distinct triangle shape of a tricorn. Tommy narrowed his eyes at it.</p><p>“Ranboo,” he said slowly, “That better not be what I think it is.”</p><p>A wide grin spread across the kid’s face as he darted over, shoving the hat on Tommy’s head and over his eyes.</p><p>“Ta-da! See, now you <em>are</em> a pirate!”</p><p>Tommy pushed it out of his face to send him a glare, but there was no real malice behind the look. </p><p>“Ranboo…”</p><p>The kid froze, looking a little nervous at the dangerous tone.</p><p>“You have exactly three seconds to fucking run.”</p><p>The kid blinked at him for a moment before letting out a high-pitched scream and darting back into the house, Tommy following close behind.</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>Three days later, Tommy was prepared to leave. His clothes were packed in a draw-string cloth bag Clara had given him. He was wearing the sage green shirt from the day he woke up, his favorite jacket thrown on top, Tubbo’s compass around his neck. While the compass wasn’t his entire world anymore (he had long since moved on from that), he couldn’t bring himself to leave it behind. Besides, it could come in handy some day.</p><p>He was packing the last of his things, some money Clara had given him, bottled water, spare parts to his prothetic, whatever he found necessary. He got to the pirate hat sitting on his nightstand and paused. Tommy picked it up, turning it over in his hands.</p><p>He still hadn’t broken the news to Ranboo yet. The kid was going to be devastated, he knew that. He had known it from the moment he woke up this morning, fluffy black and white hair poking out of the nest of blankets at the foot of his bed again. He had known it since Ranboo ran outside after breakfast, insisting that Tommy come join him at their usual spot on the cliffside by the shore. Tommy had made the excuse that he had to clean his room first, and Ranboo had happily accepted it, going to there to wait. The kid was probably still out there now.</p><p>Tommy tried not to feel guilty. His fingers clenched, digging into the brown material in his hands. He tried not to remember how it felt to be left alone as a kid, when Phil went to visit Techno and Wilbur was too busy to deal with him anymore. Or how lonely it had felt, just months ago in exile, watching Dream’s green hoodie dissolve into the swirling purple of the nether portal. </p><p>Abruptly, Tommy set the hat back down on the night stand, refusing to look at it. He was making the right decision. Besides, he didn’t even care about Ranboo that much. He was just some kid to hang out with, to occupy his time while he recovered. Nothing more.</p><p>Technoblade had always said he was a shit liar. </p><p>With a deep breath, he gathered up his bag and left his room for the last time, gently closing the door behind him. </p><p>“What are you doing?”</p><p>Startled, Tommy spun around, met with a concerned red and green gaze. </p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>Ranboo’s eyes flickered to the bag over Tommy’s shoulder, which he had made a poor attempt to hide. Dawning comprehension filled the kid’s gaze, and Tommy tried not to look guilty.</p><p>“You’re leaving?”</p><p>Tommy gave a stiff nod, moving away from the door. “Yeah, thought it was about time. My leg’s all better ’n shit, Clara approves ’n everything, so.”</p><p>Ranboo took a step back, eyes full of hurt. “You were going to leave without telling me.” He glanced at the bag again, betrayal written all over his face. “Why- why would you do that?”</p><p>“Hey, no,” Tommy crouched down so he was at Ranboo’s level, which wasn’t far considering how freakishly tall he was for a nine year old, trying to soothe him. “I was going to tell you, I just-“ He sighed. “I didn’t know how, alright?”</p><p>Ranboo stared at him for a while, hurt eventually melting into a look of determination. “I’m coming with you.”</p><p>Tommy shook his head. “No, you’re not.”</p><p>The kid turned away, ignoring him and starting toward his own room. “I’ll go pack, I’ll be fast, don’t worry-“</p><p>Tommy caught his arm. “Ranboo,” The kid looked back at him. “You’re not coming with.”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head, trying to pull his arm away. “Yes I am. You can’t leave me behind.”</p><p>Tommy sighed, pushing down the guilt in his chest. “You have to stay here, it’s not safe. I can’t protect both of us, little man. Clara can take care of you better than I can.”</p><p>“I don’t care.”</p><p>“Ranboo-“</p><p>The kid ripped his arm away, rushing toward his room. With a sigh, Tommy followed, entering to see him throwing clothes on his long-unused bed. Tommy spotted the memory book right next to the pile. He stepped in between Ranboo and the bed, forcing the kid to stop.</p><p>“Listen to me-“</p><p>Ranboo forcefully shook his head, looking at the floor. </p><p>“Ranboo, just- just listen, alright? It’s only so you’re safe-“</p><p>“You’re not getting rid of me.”</p><p>“I’m not-“</p><p>“Yes you are!”</p><p>Tommy froze as the kid’s teary gaze met his, Ranboo’s hands clenched in tight fists. “You are. And I know something happened to you before you ship wrecked and that’s why you’re always upset at night and that’s why you don’t want me around and I know I can’t fix it but please-“ There was a sob, and Tommy’s breath caught. “Please don’t leave me behind.”</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Slowly, Tommy knelt down and opened his arms for a hug, bracing himself as Ranboo slammed into his chest, sobbing. Little claws dug into his shirt, and he closed his eyes, feeling like shit.</p><p>“I’m sorry, Ranboo. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I never have, I just- I want you to be safe, alright?”</p><p>He felt a nod against his shirt.</p><p>He released his hold, pulling back so he could look Ranboo in his eyes. His throat closed up for a second, and he had to clear it, hating himself for what he was about to do. “Why don’t you get some of your stuff together? I’ll be right back, I gotta grab the pirate hat. I left it behind in my room.”</p><p>Ranboo sniffled and let go, nodding. He looked content with the plan, wiping the tears with his sleeve and giving Tommy a watery smile. “Okay.”</p><p>“Good man.”</p><p>Tommy stood, backing away from the bed, leaving Ranboo to his packing. He paused for a second, hand on the doorknob, looking at the kid. Guilt sat heavy in his gut, and he turned away, closing the door behind him.</p><p>He carefully made his way back into his room, stepping inside. He walked over to the far wall, reverently brushing his hand over the hat on the nightstand as he passed, conscience screaming at him. </p><p>Tommy pried open the window, the fresh air flooding into the room not making it feel any less suffocating.</p><p>He glanced back at the door one more time.</p><p>“I’m sorry, kid,” he whispered. And he was, truly.</p><p>Careful not to catch his bag or his prosthetic, Tommy slipped out the window, closing it behind him as quietly as possible. He turned in the direction of the village and bolted, disappearing into the swaying grasses of the bluffs.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You thought this whole work was going to be fluffy interactions? You fools. You absolute buffoons. You’ve been bamboozled. Tricked. I lured you in until I could pull out the angst card, and it's finally the time to play it.</p><p>Thank you btw to the person in the comments last chapter who gave me the idea for the hat, it's a fantastic symbol for the boys and is now a plot point that I am having way too much fun with.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tommy begins his travels, and in true Innit fashion runs into some troubles.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Another chapter, even longer than any of the first three? Why yes, it is! Would you look at that!</p><p>(I have not done homework in like 2 days fuck my life)</p><p>Thanks for all the support on this work btw, it really blew up much more than I expected it to. Sorry for doin' y'all like that on the last chapter. It was necessary, okay?</p><p>Take this. Please stop crying now.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy emerged from the grass and spent only a brief time in the village, in case Ranboo noticed he was gone and came looking for him. He bought some last minute items, his favorite of which was a powder blue cloak that was blissfully soft on the inside but light and comfortable to wear. He decided it would make a good blanket, and the hood would be useful for hiding his face if he ever got into a tricky spot.</p><p>Not that he was planning it, but this was still Tommy after all. The amount of healing and growth he had accomplished over the past handful of months, while important, and fact that he was 17 now did little to change his unfortunate ability to attract trouble. What could he say? At least life was never boring with him around.</p><p>Although in all honesty, Tommy really wouldn’t mind some peace at this point.</p><p>He struck out past the town limits, following the road that snaked along the shore. Tommy really had no idea where he was going, and frankly didn’t care. His only plan was to walk until he found a decent biome to settle down in, maybe a jungle, or somewhere with mountains (anywhere that wasn’t plains or arctic, really) and then he’d relax. Maybe he’d become a potato farmer or some cottage-core shit like that. Techno had taught him enough, he was fully confident he would do just fine.</p><p>Content with this vague plan, Tommy walked himself toward complete independence, and relished in every second of it.</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>A few days passed. Tommy bounced from village to village along the main road, sometimes staying a day or two in a town, working in wheat fields or at a blacksmith’s for a time to pay for his stay. Over time, he learned more about the country he found himself in, although he didn’t discover much he hadn’t already guessed at. The information was useful none the less. </p><p>The country had no strict ruler, there was a government of sorts, but the people were left well enough alone. Tommy, with all of his less-than-ideal experience with politics and governments didn’t mind that at all. The SMP wasn’t too far away, just across the ocean, although you could access it by land if you looped your way to the arctic biome up north. As Tommy knew the newest installment of the Arctic Empire was based there, he most definitely would not be going in that direction. </p><p>He spent most of his days walking, taking frequent breaks every few hours to rest his leg. While the stump had healed fully by now, spending too much time on his feet with his prosthetic on without stopping would result in a terrible ache, one Tommy knew from experience was not fun to deal with. Instead, he contented himself with lying in the sun while he rested, chasing bees or climbing nearby trees, sitting in them and letting his leg swing. </p><p>Some nights he didn’t make it to a village and camped out under the stars, careful to avoid areas that mobs would frequent, safe by the light of his campfire. He would lie on his back and trace sparkling shapes with his fingers, mumbling the confusing names Ranboo had insisted they learn. He was most likely getting them all jumbled up in the process, but kept doing it anyway.</p><p>Tommy had never felt more carefree in his life. </p><p>At the same time, he was also a bit lonely. Sure, there was a difference between being forced into exile and choosing to strike out on his own, but he was alone all the same. It only hit him sometimes, like when he found a massive beehive and wished Tubbo were there to freak out over it, or came across a coastal city hosting a spring music festival and ached for Wilbur to be able to see it.</p><p>The music was delightful and of a style like nothing he had ever heard before, and Tommy spent the entire weekend basking in all the new sounds. People crowded the streets, sharing food and dancing in the sun and throughout the night beneath brightly colored banners.</p><p>
  <em>Who needed discs when he had this?</em>
</p><p>The last night of the festival, Tommy came across a storyteller, regaling a group of fascinated kids with tall tales of her time spent on the high waves. Tommy stopped for a moment to listen, wrapped up in his cloak and munching on a warm loaf of bread from a nearby bakery stall.</p><p> “…and so there I was, 50 foot waves all around me. No land in sight, a swarm of drowned inches from my boat. I grabbed my trusty trident and threw it with all my might, and the lightning came down with it. Crash! It struck the water-“</p><p>Watching her gesture wildly and seeing the kids eagerly lean in sent a pang through his chest. Ranboo would’ve loved to hear the story, probably would’ve sat in front of the storyteller all day until Clara came and dragged him home. With a sigh, Tommy turned away, off to find somewhere to rest. </p><p>He missed the kid sometimes, he wasn’t too big of a man to admit that. And Tommy did feel a little bit horrible for ditching him like that, but it had been the best choice. The right choice.</p><p>Clara would take care of him, and the kid had gotten along just fine before Tommy had washed up on shore. Ranboo would be just fine without him.</p><p>That night, Tommy fell asleep, ignoring the small part of him that mourned at the fact that there was no one curled up beside him.</p><p> </p><p>—————————</p><p> </p><p>It had been nearly two weeks since he had first left, and Tommy finally had an idea of where he wanted to go. A villager had told him of a relatively untouched jungle biome about half a week’s travel from his current location, and it sounded like the perfect place to settle down. Few people, plenty of resources, and good food, including cocoa. Maybe he’d make some cookies, become all domestic ’n shit. </p><p>Tommy grinned at the thought.</p><p>He was passing through what he had been told was the first of the last two towns between himself and the jungle, preparing to stock up on supplies. That’s when trouble finally caught him. </p><p>Long story short, teenagers with a loud, dirty mouth and newly found confidence don’t mesh well with a crowd of drunken men wandering the streets at ungodly hours of the night. A fight broke out, some son of a bitch tried to steal his leg (fuckin’ rude, that was), and the local authorities were called. </p><p>Tommy managed to get away, hiding behind a stack of hay as guards detained the others. He listened in as the one of the pricks he had so kindly gifted with a punch to the face gave his description to the head guard, cringing at how well the guy was able to describe him.</p><p>He shook out his knuckles and sat, fixing the wonky straps on his prosthetic, waiting the guards out. Once the late-night crowd drawn by the fight had dwindled a bit, Tommy pulled up the hood on his cloak and snuck off.</p><p>He’d try his luck with the next town.</p><p> </p><p>—————————</p><p> </p><p>It was nearing dusk, the sun dipping toward the horizon. Tommy wove his way back through the city square, bag held close to his side, head down. The hood of his cloak was still up, but he couldn’t risk anyone seeing his face, not when he was so close to getting out of here and back to his campsite. </p><p>This town was closer than he would have liked to the one he had fled two days before, but it was the only other one around for hundreds of blocks, and stocking up on supplies before getting the hell out of dodge was unavoidable. At least it was a decently large village, with a crowded main square. Plenty of stalls to chose from, and plenty of people to blend in with.  </p><p>He had managed to barter for enough non-perishable food to last him for a while, even if he was unsuccessful in hunting for the next few days. Some of Clara’s coins had been spent on some bars of iron, rope, and a set of flint and steel to replace the cobbled-together set he had been working with. </p><p>Also added to his collection was a long-overdue iron sword. It wasn’t enchanted or anything, and a far cry from the powerful netherite he had grown accustomed to back in the SMP, but it was better than stone or, god forbid, <em>wood</em>. He would upgrade eventually, get a better sword and some armor once he had found a place to settle down for a while. God, he hadn’t had armor in so long. Not since exile. He hadn’t needed it. </p><p>(Tommy couldn’t decide if that was a good or a bad thing.)</p><p>Especially careful to avoid any of the local guardsmen lining the marketplace, Tommy slipped away, melting into the shadows between the buildings as he left the crowded square. He wove his way through the side streets, light on his feet, trying to avoid as many people as possible. The fewer people who could point out to the authorities which way the teenager with the very unique feature of a missing leg had gone, the better. Tommy had nearly made it to the edge of the town, ready to book it when he heard the sounds of an argument echoing out of a dimly-lit alleyway. </p><p>“Give it back!”</p><p>Intrigued, Tommy slowed, peeking around the corner of the building that made up one wall of the alley. Logically, he knew he really should get going, as night was coming soon, and while mobs weren’t as much of a concern close to a town this large, he’d rather not try to navigate the woods in total darkness. </p><p>But then again, when had Tommyinnit been good at staying away from a fight?</p><p>Inside the alleyway were what appeared to be a couple of street kids, young teens going by the looks of them, all worn-down clothes and sharp edges. Wasn’t a surprise they were picking fights and acting like dicks, then. (A former street rat himself, Tommy felt safe passing this judgement.) They appeared to have cornered another kid, jeering at them, but the poor lighting where the small group was clumped made it hard for him to see much else.</p><p>One of the older kids sneered, stepping closer to the poor kid trapped at the end of the alley. “Why should we?”</p><p>“It’s important! Please, just give it back-“</p><p>The two dickheads laughed, looming over the kid, and Tommy crept closer, using the sound to mask his slightly uneven footsteps. </p><p>“Important? <em>Really?</em>”</p><p>“Y-yes, it’s my friend’s-“</p><p>Tommy was now close enough to see that the teen on the left had something in his hands, but he couldn’t quite make out what it was. The guy on the right snatched the object and danced backwards, tauntingly waving it around in the air. “<em>This?</em> What, is your friend <em>four</em> or something? Or are you just fucking stupid?”</p><p>The thing caught the fading light coming down between the rooftops, and Tommy stopped dead in his tracks.</p><p>…It was a pirate hat.</p><p>It was a fucking <em>pirate hat.</em></p><p>The hat was frayed, muddy, and slightly misshapen, and also very familiar.</p><p>It was <em>the</em> fucking pirate hat.</p><p>And if that was the pirate hat, then that meant…</p><p>Tommy’s gaze fell away from the hat still in the teen’s hands to the tormented kid, who had since stepped a little ways out of the deeper shadows of the alleyway. The hair was messy, face smeared with dirt and mismatched eyes filled with anxiety, but it was unmistakably, irrefutably Ranboo.</p><p>
  <em>For God’s sake-</em>
</p><p>Tommy slipped back into the shadows of the alley, letting his head fall into his hands. <em>God damn it.</em> What was the kid <em>doing here</em>? How the hell had he even found him? Then again… he let out a silent, only slightly histerical laugh. The kid was crazy smart, he shouldn’t be surprised. And Ranboo had been annoyingly adamant about going with him before he had managed to escape out the window, and he knew that if the kid had his mind set on something, he wouldn’t give up on it. Look at the whole pirate joke, for Christ’s sake, the only way to escape that one was to literally escape-</p><p>A cry of distress echoed in the small space, and Tommy pulled his head out of his hands just in time to watch the dickhead on the right drop the hat on the ground and raise his foot over it. Tommy could practically feel the smug grin from where he was standing. The foot came down, grinding the hat into the dirt.</p><p>“Don’t!-“</p><p>Ranboo leapt forward, trying to grab the hat. With a yelp, the kid pulled back again as his fingers met the same fate as the brown fabric. Tommy’s eyes narrowed, hand reaching for the sword at his side. </p><p>He considered his options. If they left the kid alone, Tommy could leave without revealing himself, and Ranboo would have to go back home to Clara. No need to get involved if he didn’t have to-</p><p>The teen on the left kicked Ranboo in the chest, sending the kid sprawling. Ranboo curled into a ball, arms over his ears and covering his head with his hands.</p><p>Okay- nope. Fuck this.</p><p>With a fluid motion, Tommy drew his sword, stepping out of the shadows and firmly placing himself between Ranboo and the two pricks. The younger teens paused for a second, surprised by the sudden addition to their fight. With his hood still up and shrouded in the deepening shadows, Tommy hoped he looked as badass as he felt.</p><p>Soon, the two in front of him got over the initial shock, and dude on the left glared at him, sneering. His friend tried to get around Tommy, but was quickly met by the point of a blade at his throat. The teen paused.</p><p>“One more step,” Tommy growled, “And I will fuckin’ end you.”</p><p>The younger teen gulped, raising his hands in a placating gesture and taking a step back. </p><p>His friend scoffed. “Are you kidding me? It’s just some dumbass hybrid kid, why do you even care-“</p><p>He was cut off by a kick to the gut, and the bitch doubled over groaning, the other dude holding him up. Tommy couldn’t help but grin a little as he brandished his sword, the iron cutting through the air, pointing toward the exit of the alley. He took a step forward, and the other two stumbled back a step in return.</p><p>“Leave. I don’t wanna see your ugly faces for another second, or I swear to <em>god</em> I will start stabbing shit.”</p><p>Taking the hint, they fled, casting a wary glance over their shoulders on the way out. Heaving a sigh, Tommy sheathed his sword, bending down to scoop up the crumpled pirate hat. Grimacing at the state of it, he tried to mush it back into shape, not really succeeding. He spun, making his way over to where Ranboo lay still curled up and crouched down beside him.</p><p>“Here,” he said gently, setting it down on the ground beside the kid.</p><p>Ranboo uncurled, pulling his arms away from his face. Tommy winced at how worn-out the kid seemed this close up.</p><p>Not looking at him, Ranboo gingerly sat up, holding his injured hand to his chest. The other hand pulled the hat into the kid’s lap, eyes tearing up at the state of it. Claws dug into the material, trying uselessly to fix the shape like Tommy had done moments before. While Ranboo was occupied, Tommy sat down, checking over his shoulder quickly to ensure they were alone before pulling down the hood of his cloak.</p><p>He cleared his throat to catch the kid’s attention. “I hate to say this, but what the <em>hell</em> are you doing out here?”</p><p>The claws fiddling with the fabric stopped, and Ranboo seemed to shrink into himself, still not looking up. “S-sorry. I didn’t mean to, I just- I was looking for my friend because he forgot his hat,” He sniffled, tears starting to spill down his cheeks. Guilt pooled in Tommy’s chest. “And I had to… I had to get it back to him, you know? And I really needed to do it right because he-“ Ranboo’s voice was hardly a whisper now. “Because he forgot me, too.”</p><p>Oh. Wow.</p><p>Well, wasn’t that a massive slap to the face?</p><p>...</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>Something snapped in his chest, and the guilt that had been festering there crawled up his throat, strangling him. “I’m sorry,” Tommy choked out.</p><p>Ranboo shook his head, scrubbing at his eyes with a grubby sleeve. “I-It’s okay. Thank you, though. You didn’t have to-“ The kid finally looked up and froze, eyes wide. </p><p>Tommy gave him a sad smile. “I really think I did, little man.”</p><p>Ranboo just blinked at him, mouth falling open. A sudden cry burst out of him, and he dropped the hat and lunged forward, burying his face into Tommy’s shirt. </p><p>“Hey buddy,” Tommy murmured, slowly wrapping his arms around Ranboo’s shaking shoulders. The kid had a death grip on his jacket.</p><p>Tommy pulled him into his lap, tucking the kid against his chest. With a little effort, the cloak was tugged tight around them and he set his chin atop Ranboo’s dirty hair.</p><p>The alleyway fell silent, aside from muffled sobs coming from the front of Tommy’s shirt. Patiently, Tommy waited for Ranboo to calm down, gently swaying them back and forth and humming a tune he had learned at the festival until the kid’s breathing evened out and his grip relaxed.</p><p>Taking a deep breath, Ranboo slumped against him, sniffling. </p><p>“I hate you,” he mumbled.</p><p>Tommy laughed. “I know.”</p><p>“You’re the worst.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“…You left me.”</p><p>Tommy winced. “I know,” he sighed, hugging the kid a little tighter. “I know, Ranboo. It was a bit of an asshole move, I’ll admit. And ’m sorry, I really am.”</p><p>Ranboo sat still, considering this. “Okay,” he whispered after a little while. Then the kid pushed away, leaning back far enough to look Tommy directly in the eyes. Green and red locked onto blue. “Promise not to do it again?”</p><p>Solemnly, Tommy nodded. “Promise.”</p><p>(He had already broken his promise not to get attached to the kid anyways. There was no harm in replacing that promise with a better one, after all.)</p><p>Ranboo scanned his face, looking for any sign of insincerity. Finding none, he buried his head back in Tommy’s chest, obviously exhausted. That was probably the result of being on his own, forced to stay alert for- how long had it been? Weeks? Days? How long had Ranboo been tailing him without him noticing? Who knew, but Tommy could tell the time spent searching had taken a toll on the kid. He felt another twinge of guilt. </p><p>Glancing up at the sky, Tommy cursed, realizing that the sun had definitely set by now. He nudged Ranboo, who gave a quiet groan of protest. “We gotta get moving, sun’s already set an' everything. I have a camp ’n shit but it’s a ways from here.”</p><p>More quiet grumbling. </p><p>Tommy grinned, poking Ranboo’s side. “What’s that, little man?”</p><p>“…Don’ wanna get up.”</p><p>Tommy snickered. “I’ll carry you, but you gotta get on my back. I may be a badass 'n all, but me arms are still like noodles. Haven’t worked out in a while, you know how it is.”</p><p>No response.</p><p>Tommy poked him again. “Come on, piggyback ride! How does that sound?”</p><p>More grumbly protests followed this statement, but Ranboo pulled away and stood, looking half asleep. Tommy pushed to his feet as well, unclasping his cloak and placing it over Ranboo’s shoulders instead. The kid happily snuggled into it, hair poking out from beneath the hood. Tommy readjusted his bag and crouched down enough for Ranboo to hop on his back. The kid flopped onto him, wiggling around until he was comfortable, finally settling down with his chin hooked over Tommy’s shoulder. </p><p>Assured that the kid was settled, Tommy stood all the way up, scanning the alleyway to make sure they didn’t leave anything behind. In the gloom he could make out the trodden-on lump of brown hat, a sad sight. “Ranboo?” He asked, nudging the kid’s head with his. Ranboo hummed sleepily in response. “You wanna take that stupid hat with?”</p><p>Ranboo cracked an eye open, lifting his head to peer over Tommy’s shoulder. “No,” he finally mumbled, letting his head fall back down. “I have you back. You’re better.”</p><p>Tommy laughed at that, letting the warm feeling bubbling in his chest take over.<br/>
“Whatever you say kid,” He began to walk. “Whatever you say.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You may be wondering, miss author, ma'am, why did you bother splitting up the boys and causing us all so much distress when you were planning on reuniting them anyways?</p><p>Because I'm an overly dramatic bitch, that's why. Deal with it.</p><p>Updates will probably be slowing down a little after this because I simply have not been doing my homework in favor of writing (I mean come on this is a million times more fun and gratifying anyways) and it's become a <em>bit</em> of an issue. So yeah. I kinda gotta resort my priorities. Just a smidge. </p><p>Thanks for all the love so far, your comments make my day, seriously :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Flashback time.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What’s good my friends!! What, I haven’t updated in a while because canon events knocked me down and then ran me over with a stream roller and I’ve been in emotional shock? That’s interesting!</p><p>Anyways, thanks for all the love guys. I was gonna make this more angsty because that’s like, part of the plot and all, but decided to save that for the next chapter. I think we all need a bit of a break.</p><p>Take your free happy chemical for the day. Enjoy</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>——————————————<br/>
<em>About 5 months ago...</em><br/>
——————————————</p><p>Dream stepped out of the Logstedshire’s portal, whistling merrily. He had just come back from his trip, and things had gone incredibly well, so incredibly well. In all honesty though, he was looking forward to seeing Tommy again.</p><p>Everyday, the kid grew more and more compliant, bent one inch closer to breaking. Dream grinned under his mask, pulling out tnt and a set of flint and steel as he moved away from the portal. Soon, Tommy would break.</p><p>Soon, there would be no <em>Tommy</em> left. Just a hollowed out imitation of the stupid brat that had ruined his server. As it should be.</p><p>“Oh Tommy!” Dream sang, sauntering toward the kid’s pathetic tent. </p><p><em>I should burn that next time he acts out. </em>He mused. <em>Kid named it and everything. Pitiful. </em></p><p>Tommy hadn’t responded to his call, and Dream frowned, annoyed at the delay.</p><p>“I’m back! Did you miss me?” He called, nearing the tent. Still no sound from the kid. Jesus, why was he like this? With an exasperated sigh, Dream pulled back the flap of the tent, rolling his eyes.</p><p>“Tommy, really, quit ignoring-“ Dream stopped, looking into the tent and finding it empty and strangely barren. That was interesting. Tommy hardly ever left his tent these days, especially after his childish tantrum over that dumb beach party. With an annoyed huff, he let the fabric drop, spinning on his heel and marching toward the run-down log structure that Wilbur’s ghost had built.</p><p>Dream strolled in, a harsh lecture on the tip of his tongue, but the words died in his throat.</p><p>Tommy wasn’t there either.</p><p>Dream checked the sad excuse for a strip mine. Empty and dark, the torches long since gone out.</p><p>
  <em>What the hell?</em>
</p><p>He put away the tnt, pulling out his axe instead, and stalled in the center of Logstedshire, (God, what a stupid name) unsure where to look next. His gaze drifted over to the abandoned beach. Irritated, Dream made his way over to the rotting party decorations, hoping to find some clue as to where the brat had gone. The sand had begun to bury the sun-bleached lawn chairs, torn umbrellas fluttering in the wind. </p><p>Alright, not here either then.</p><p>Dream struck out with his axe, cleaving one of the umbrella poles clean in half. He watched it tip over into the sand, gaze burning. He didn’t have <em>time</em> for this. He needed Tommy in Logsted, perfectly obedient and under his careful eye, unable to cause more problems. Dream did <em>not</em> need the kid to go missing, plotting who-knows-what and fucking up everything he had worked so hard for.</p><p>He sighed, hefting the axe back over his shoulder and turning to go. Dream began to stalk off, pissed, before something on the edge of the surf caught his eye.</p><p>He moved closer, crouching down and pulling it out of the sand, shaking it off. It was Tommy’s dumb bandana, that dirty green one Tubbo had given him.</p><p>Dream ran the cloth through his fingers thoughtfully, staring out at the ocean, the angry glint in his eyes darkening into something else. He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head.</p><p>“Lost at sea, Tommy? <em>Really?</em>” He stood, tucking the bandana into his pocket as he went. “You’re more creative than <em>that</em>, c’mon.” Dream glanced out over the water one more time. He hummed, considering. </p><p><em>Hope the kid actually went through with it,</em> He mused. A sick grin cut across his face. <em>Maybe the coward finally offed himself. That’d be convenient.</em></p><p>Dream spun and began strolling back to the nether portal, whistling again.</p><p>
  <em>Meh. One less thing to worry about.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>Back in L’Manberg, Tubbo was pacing in his office, reciting a speech over and over.</p><p>Dream would be back soon, and Tubbo was determined to convince him to let Tommy back into the SMP for Christmas. It was only fair, leaving him all alone in exile during the holidays was just cruel. Tommy didn’t do good on his own. He was too dependent on other people, so reliant on social interaction to keep his spirits up. </p><p>Tommy would want to come for Christmas, he was sure of it.</p><p>
  <em>(He was sure, even if Dream insisted that Tommy didn’t want to see them. Even if Dream told them that Tommy hated them all.)</em>
</p><p>Tubbo wanted to see Tommy again. No. <em>Needed</em> to see him again, just to make sure he was alright.</p><p>Maybe to apologize. If not for the exile, then just for leaving his friend on his own for so long.</p><p>Tubbo sighed, rubbing at his eyes and leaning back against his desk. He took a deep breath.</p><p>He would convince Dream. He had to.</p><p>For Tommy.</p><p> </p><p>——————————<br/>
<em>Present day...</em><br/>
——————————</p><p> </p><p>“Ranboo.”</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>“Get up.”</p><p>“...Mm.”</p><p>“I’m serious.”</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>“<em>Ranboo.</em>”</p><p>Green and red eyes cracked open, squinting up at Tommy through a very bad case of bed head. Tommy cocked an eyebrow at the kid, giving his best “I’m waiting” look. Ranboo just closed his eyes again and let his head fall back onto Tommy’s chest, snuggling back into the cloak draped over them.</p><p>“A-<em>hem</em>.”</p><p>“<em>Why?</em>” The kid whined, the sound all muffled by his shirt.</p><p>“I want to get up.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“You are literally on top of me.”</p><p>Ranboo clung on tighter, hugging him. “But I’m <em>comfy</em>.”</p><p>“I will punt you.”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head, face still smushed into Tommy’s front. “Can’t.”</p><p>“What do you mean ‘can’t?’” Tommy laughed. "I can and <em>will</em> just kick you-“</p><p>“Your leg’s not on. Can’t.”</p><p>Tommy paused, gaping at him. “Wha- What the fuck?! You’re using my lack of limbs against me now? Is that how it is?” Tommy poked Ranboo in the side. “Oh, let’s just bully the one-legged man! It’ll be fun! What is <em>wrong</em> with you?” </p><p>This rant was punctuated by a series of jabs to Ranboo’s sides, causing the kid to squirm, but the assault wasn’t enough to get him to relinquish his hold. Tommy groaned dramatically at the resistance, fighting to keep up the bothered act as he felt Ranboo begin to shake with suppressed giggles.  </p><p>“Fine,” He sighed, exasperated. “You’ve chosen war, little man.”</p><p>Ranboo stopped laughing and squinted up at him, suspicious. “What does that mea-“</p><p>The word was cut off with a yelp as Tommy suddenly sat up, pushing the kid onto the ground in a jumble of limbs and blue fabric. The pile flopped about for a moment, righting itself, before Ranboo’s offended face popped out from the tangled cloak. The kid sent Tommy a glare, to which he just laughed and stretched, yawning.</p><p>He pointed a finger at the indignant lump. “I warned you. You just didn’t listen.” Tommy cocked his head, considering. “You’re pretty shit at that, aren’t you? That whole listening thing.”</p><p>“Says you,” Ranboo shot back. </p><p>“Hm. Touché my friend, touché.”</p><p>Tommy leaned over and grabbed his leg, pulling it closer. He sat up properly, leaning back against one of the birch trees ringing the campsite to steady himself as he strapped it on. </p><p>“Speaking of,” Tommy drawled, fiddling with the leather straps. “You never told me how you got into that sketchy alley.” He glanced up at Ranboo. “Were you literally following me this whole time? How’d you even find me?”</p><p>Ranboo shrugged, cloak falling from his shoulders. “Pretty much. I left after you did, and was just a little behind you, I guess.” His smile widened. “You weren’t exactly hard to find, you know.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>Ranboo giggled. “You are so bad at staying hidden!”</p><p>“No I’m not!” </p><p>“Yes you are!”</p><p>Tommy pulled the final strap into place and got to his feet, walking over to the kid to stand with hands on his hips. “Tommyinnit is not bad at hiding. I am a master of stealth, thank you very much.”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head, hair flying all over. “No you’re not! There were wanted posters literally all over that one village. That’s how I knew I was near the right town.”</p><p>“I’ll have you know,” Tommy said, reaching out a hand to help the kid up, “That that fight was entirely not my fault. I am completely blameless.” Ranboo took his hand and Tommy pulled the kid to his feet, taking a moment to scoop up the cloak and toss it over Ranboo’s head.</p><p>He ignored the indignant “Hey!” that came from under the fabric, wandering off to start packing up the camp. There wasn’t much to carry, just some blankets to shove in the bag and some odd and ends to gather up. He was rifling around for some breakfast when Ranboo finally came over. Tommy tossed him a loaf of bread,  taking one for himself and cinching the bag closed. He sat down on a fallen birch log to eat, and Ranboo plopped down beside him, munching happily.</p><p>“So… where are we going?” The kid garbled, mouth full of bread.</p><p>“Jungle,” Tommy replied, ripping a piece off of his own loaf. “And don’t talk with your mouth full, that’s disgusting.”</p><p>“Sorry.” Ranboo swallowed. “Why are we going there?”</p><p>Tommy shrugged. “Sounded nice. Not a lot of people, cool plants, nice weather. No plains or snow. That’s pretty much it.”</p><p>Ranboo hummed, taking another bite. “Why no plains or snow?”</p><p>“Gross, chew.”</p><p>“Oops.”</p><p>Tommy sighed, eating the last bite of his bread and dusting his hands off on his pants. “I don’t like plains biomes, or arctic ones. Brings bad memories ’n shit. Not fun.”</p><p>“Oh. Alright,” Ranboo replied, content with the answer.</p><p>For a moment, Tommy marveled at him. Even after knowing the kid for a few months now, Tommy was still so unused to Ranboo’s understanding of boundaries. The kid didn’t push it, didn’t force him to talk, unless Ranboo thought it was super important or that it would make Tommy feel better. Tommy still wasn’t quite used to that sort of treatment, having people leave him be when he wasn’t okay with sharing. </p><p>It was nice.</p><p><em>I really missed him, huh?</em> He thought, absentmindedly reaching a hand over to flatten the kid’s wild hair. <em>I’ve gone all soft.</em> He snorted. <em>Fuckin’ clingy an’ everything.</em></p><p>He gazed at Ranboo, the kid happily nibbling on his bread, hair flopped into his eyes and sticking up at the back, skinny limbs drowning in the slightly-too-big cloak. Tommy let his hand fall from Ranboo’s head, wrapping his arm around the kid’s shoulders instead, tugging him a little closer.</p><p>Ranboo leaned into his side. Tommy shifted his gaze up to the leaves above, smiling.</p><p>
  <em>Who fucking cares if I’ve gone soft?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Kid’s worth it.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>They set off a couple hours later. Tommy carried the pack, and Ranboo, no longer on the verge of passing out like before, bounced along beside him. They were traveling in practically untouched territory now, the path Tommy had been following long since lost beneath the ferns. </p><p>The sun trickled through the leaves, dappling their skin and spotting the forest floor. Flowers of all types covered the ground, filling the air with a treacly sort of smell. Ranboo was plodding along, arms already full of them. Tommy, despite his halfhearted protests, now had a massive purple one sticking out of one of the button holes of his jacket. The thing was round and puffy and kept getting in his face, but Ranboo had insisted. Called it alli-something. Tommy thought the name sounded like some kind of drug and therefore tolerated it.</p><p>(He had to admit, it smelled kinda good, even if it did look stupid.) </p><p>They traveled through the better part of the day, stopping whenever to rest Tommy’s leg or get a drink of water. During the breaks they talked about their adventures in the two weeks they had been apart. Tommy told Ranboo about his time at the musical festival, singing one of the songs for the kid upon request. Ranboo told Tommy about his time trying to track him down, how he followed the directions of villagers, hoping for the best until he got to the town with the posters. </p><p>Ranboo had pulled one out of his pocket, a little crumpled, but still intact. Tommy took it and set it aside for safe keeping. He was so gonna frame it once their house was built.</p><p>(It was a good drawing. Sue him.)</p><p>That first night they lay under the canopy, a small campfire crackling to scare away any curious mobs. Ranboo was curled into Tommy’s side, Tommy’s arm protectively wrapped around the kid, chin resting on his head. The iron sword was set within reaching distance, just in case. The stars winked between the leaves as they slept, and nothing disturbed the night but their quiet snores.</p><p>The next day was much of the same. Traveling, sharing stories, playing in the sun. Ranboo rambled about pirates as they walked. The kid asked if there were parrots in the jungle biome. Tommy told him there was. Ranboo said that Tommy was going to have to get one, because <em>obviously</em> all pirates had parrots.</p><p>Ranboo then spent the next ten minutes up a tree, Tommy waiting at the base with arms crossed, staring him down. </p><p>“Ranboo, I order you to come down and apologize,” Tommy declared.</p><p>“Uh- that’s fine, I think I’ll stay up here for a little while. Have fun down there though!” Ranboo called back, kicking his legs back and forth. Tommy considered climbing up after him in order to bully that smirk off the kid’s face, but then decided the branches were too thin and that was a lot of work. So he waited the kid out, opting for a noogie when the waiting game ended.</p><p>On the third day of traveling, they finally reached the end of the forest biome. The air became a bit muggier, the trees growing taller and vines tangling their feet as they walked.</p><p>Ranboo pulled on the sleeve of his jacket in excitement, pointing to the canopy overhead where brightly colored birds flitted between the branches.</p><p>“Yeah yeah, I see the parrots little man,” Tommy grumbled. “Just pick one that’s not a shit color, that’s all I ask.”</p><p>Ranboo considered this. “What about one of the light green ones?”</p><p>Tommy’s mind briefly flashed back to an ash dusted hoodie, a sharp laugh echoing in his ears. His grip on the bag straps tightened. “No,” He said tightly, pushing the memory away. “Lime green is fuckin’ terrible.”</p><p>Tommy didn’t miss the concerned glance that the kid shot his way, but he ignored it. He scanned the area, looking for some sort of clearing that would be ideal for a house. “Pick red or something. Red is a fantastic color. Gets all the ladies.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded solemnly, still looking like he wanted to ask about Tommy’s change in attitude, but deciding to leave it for another time. “Okay, red then.”</p><p>“Good man.”</p><p>Up ahead, Tommy spotted a small break in the trees, beams of sunlight warming the ground. He moved toward it, Ranboo following behind, both curious.</p><p>They broke through the trees, emerging into a relatively small clearing. Tommy scanned the area. No large caves nearby, no lava, no villages. Perfect. There was a pond somewhere around here, and if his mental compass was correct, the ocean was only a couple hundred blocks away, over small set of hills.</p><p>He grinned, marching into the clearing, stopping in the center with hands on his hips, surveying the area. Satisfied, he turned back to Ranboo, who was crouched down, picking some of the yellow flowers growing between the vines. Tommy watched, amused, as the kid added them to his growing collection. </p><p>“This is it, little man!” Tommy crowed, throwing his hands up. “Welcome to our humble abode!”</p><p>Ranboo stood up, wandering into the clearing. The kid glanced around, eyes shining just as bright as Tommy’s. “I like it,” He declared. “Are we gonna build a house now?”</p><p>Tommy nodded, slipping the pack off of his shoulders and dropping it to the ground. “Yup. It’s gonna be the best house anyone has ever seen. We’re gonna be legends, Ranboo. The best builders in the biome.”</p><p>A yellow flower smacked his forehead. “We’re the only ones here, Tommy.”</p><p>“Precisely!”</p><p>“You’re so weird,” the kid muttered, gently setting down his flower collection next to Tommy’s bag. “I’m gonna go get sticks.”</p><p>“Don’t go too far, alright?”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, moving to the edge of the clearing, ducking under some vines as he went. Tommy watched him go, making sure to watch where the kid was going so he could hunt him down if Ranboo took too long to come back.</p><p>Convinced that the kid would be okay, Tommy fashioned an axe with some of his spare iron. He hoisted it over his shoulder, walking up to the nearest tree.</p><p>“Lets get to fuckin’ work, shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>——————</p><p> </p><p>It took a few days due to their relative inexperience with building nice things, but the house was finally finished. Ranboo didn’t know much because he was a child, obviously, and Tommy was out of his element because he wasn’t used to the idea that he could put his time into a build and not have it be griefed a day later.</p><p>The end result was a bit wonky, made of so many different types of wood, all mixed in with scattered bits of cobblestone. The yard and all the window sills were already looking overgrown with the flowers they had messily planted.</p><p>In short, it looked like complete shit.</p><p>They loved it. </p><p>Tommy stood back to admire their work once the final touches were added, chest swelling with pride at what they’d made. Ranboo was beside him, beaming. </p><p>Tommy ruffled the kid’s hair, stepping forward to pull open the door to the completed house for the first time, Ranboo excitedly pushing on his back.</p><p>“Go faster! I wanna see it!”</p><p>“I’m <em>going</em>, Jesus-“</p><p>The interior was pretty small, just a kitchen and a cozy living room, plus two bedrooms that they both knew one of which would go unused. The windows had been thrown open to let in a breeze to cool the humid air, and the smell of Ranboo’s flowers floated in with it.</p><p>Tommy looked down at Ranboo. Ranboo looked up at Tommy. They grinned at each other, both thinking the same thing. </p><p>It felt like home.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The boys are officially knee deep in that cottage-core jungle lifestyle.</p><p>Tommy, if you can’t tell, is now firmly attached to Ranboo, and will not be giving him up under any circumstance (It was inevitable, I mean come on, look at how cute the kid is)</p><p>I’d love to hear your thoughts! On the chapter, canon events, life, existence and the scale of the universe- whatever. I’m not particular. (Just bored)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tubbo learns of Tommy's disappearance. </p><p>Tommy learns that time doesn't heal everything.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Welcome back my friends! First of all, <em>holy shit</em> is there a lot of kudos on this. This is now my most liked work and I just- thank you so much, oh my god.</p><p>Also, I have an excuse for taking so long! (Not really lol, but hey) I was drawing our two favorite boys! I'll post the links to the images in the end notes because I have absolutely no idea how to add pictures into a chapter and I'm far too lazy to figure it out. Please look at them I’m very proud of how they turned out, thank you.</p><p>TW: Discussion of suicide, a bit of assumed character death, panic attack, and trauma, please stay safe everybody! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>———————————<br/>
<em>SMP Lands, months ago…</em><br/>
———————————</p><p> </p><p>“And therefore, as President, I believe it is within my rights to allow Tommy back in for the holidays. I’m the one,” A shaky pause. “Who chose to exile him, so it would make the most sense that I choose when he comes back, Dream.”</p><p>Finished with his statement, Tubbo squared his shoulders, trying to look as confident as he could. It was a good speech, he was actually rather proud of it, and the words should get through to the man. Dream was smart, hopefully he would listen to reason-</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Tubbo tensed. “Wha- why not? It’s not like having Tommy here will cause any harm!”</p><p>Dream scoffed, crossing his arms. “Really, Tubbo? All Tommy <em>does</em> is cause harm. He was exiled for a reason.”</p><p>Tubbo balled his fists, fingers clenched around the fabric of his ill-fitting suit jacket. “Dream, as President of L’Manburg-“</p><p>Dream shook his head, turning away. “No, Tubbo. That’s final.”</p><p>“But-“</p><p>“<em>No.</em>”</p><p>Tubbo, who up to this point had been trying extremely hard to be civil, was stressed beyond belief. He was missing his best friend. He was a child running a nation, taking on that responsibility all by himself with practically no support system. And he was sick of this, of no one taking him seriously or even just <em>listening</em> to him-</p><p>Tubbo surged forward and grabbed onto Dream’s hoodie sleeve, trying not to feel terrified as the man stiffened. “Just give me a reason why!” He shouted, all his frustration leaking out. “And don’t give me bullshit, Dream!”</p><p>Dream didn’t say anything at first, just ripped Tubbo’s hand from his sleeve and held onto his wrist with a crushing grip. Tubbo tried to pull away, but the masked man didn’t let go.</p><p>“Tommy,” Dream spat, voice low, “Won’t be coming back to the SMP, <em>Mr. President.</em> Not now, not ever. Am I clear?”</p><p>Now Tubbo, if he were in his right mind, would have backed off at that. Would have accepted Dream’s decision and moved on to find something else to distract himself with. But his heart hurt and he was tired of being alone, and he knew Tommy would tired too. </p><p>
  <em>He wanted Tommy back.</em>
</p><p>“Dream, that is not your choice-“</p><p>“FOR CHRIST’S SAKE TUBBO!” Dream yelled, throwing Tubbo’s hand back at him. “He’s not coming to L’Manburg, or to the SMP, or anywhere else for the holidays because Tommy is <em>gone</em>.”</p><p>
  <em>…Gone?</em>
</p><p>“What do you mean?” Tubbo asked, taking a step back. </p><p>No response.</p><p>“Dream! What do you mean, Tommy is gone?”</p><p>Dream threw his arms up, agitated. “Tommy is missing. Not to be found. Whatever you want call it. What the hell do you want from me?”</p><p>
  <em>Tommy is missing. Tommy is missing. Tommy is-</em>
</p><p>“W-what?”</p><p> </p><p>——————————<br/>
<em>The Jungle, about 8 months later…</em><br/>
——————————</p><p> </p><p>The sun beamed down on the serene garden surrounding the jungle house. Flowers swayed in the wind, and the yard was heavy with the smell of blooms.</p><p>“<em>Bitch!</em>”</p><p>The air was thick with humidity, but for being past midday, it was actually rather nice out.</p><p>“<em>You dickhead!</em>”</p><p>Tommy sighed, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead and smearing it with dirt. He kept methodically weeding the carrots, trying to block out the noise.</p><p>“<em>Fuck!</em>”</p><p>
  <em>For Christ’s sake-</em>
</p><p>“Ranboo!”</p><p>A few blocks away, the kid’s head popped out of the sprawling leaves and vines of the melon patch. </p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Please get that bird to shut up, I am begging you.”</p><p>Ranboo rolled his eyes. “It’s not that bad.”</p><p>“<em>You dickhead!"</em></p><p>Tommy raised an eyebrow.</p><p>“Okay!” Ranboo threw up his hands, standing up. “I don’t get why you find her so annoying. <em>You</em> were the one that taught her to swear in the first place. I didn’t do that.”</p><p>Tommy sniffed and scratched at his nose, rubbing more dirt on his face. There was no attempt to deny it, as both of them knew any defense he could come up with would be futile. “Not my fault you named her something stupid.”</p><p>“What does that have to do with anything?”</p><p>“If her name wasn’t so shit, she would be better behaved. It’s science.”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head, wading through leaves over to where the scarlet parrot was perched, calling over his shoulder, “Birdthany is a great name, you just don’t have taste!” </p><p>Tommy gasped in mock outrage. “You take that back right fuckin’ now!”</p><p>Ranboo ignored him, stopping beneath a tree that overlooked the small potato patch. A warbling chirp, the familiar sound of Ender being spoken, came from the kid’s throat. Birdthany squawked and fluttered down from her spot to settle on Ranboo’s shoulder. The kid smiled at the bird and gave her an affectionate scratch under the chin. “You like your name, don’t you?”</p><p>“<em>Bitch!</em>”</p><p>Ranboo grinned, looking over at Tommy. “She said yes! Take that!”</p><p>Tommy chuckled, shaking his head and brushing the weeds from his lap. “It’s just a shit way of saying Bethany, little man. It’s a terrible name, I hate to break it to you.” </p><p>Birdthany screeched, flapping up to sit on Ranboo’s head. Obviously, she didn’t appreciate Tommy’s comment and was trying to assert dominance. Lucky for Tommy, he was the alpha male and was not easily intimidated by small red birds, even those with both an attitude and a chronic cussing problem. </p><p>Tommy stood and stared her down, setting his hands on his hips. “I’m just <em>saying</em>, Clementine would’a been much better. That’s all.”</p><p>The bird screeched and began to angrily chew on Ranboo’s hair, throwing a fit. The kid giggled and started murmuring to her in Ender again, attempting to calm the indignant parrot. Tommy had absolutely no clue how or why Birdthany responded to the strange tongue, but she did. Probably because she was a little freak, just like her owner. </p><p>Tommy bent down and gathered up the pile of ready carrots that had been pulled along with the weeds and started for the house. Balancing his load, he managed to open the door, toeing off his muddy boots and making his way into the kitchen. He caught sight of the kitchen table and sighed, moving past it to dump the carrots onto the counter. </p><p>Prying open the window, Tommy stuck his head out. “Ran!”</p><p> A shouted “What?” came echoing back.</p><p>“Come ‘ere!”</p><p>Tommy leaned back inside, leaving the window open to let in some fresh air. He started to wash his hands, working to scrub the days worth of dirt from his skin. The door opened, and Ranboo wandered inside. “What is it?”</p><p>Tommy snatched a towel and leaned back against the counter, drying his hands. He nodded at the dining table. “What did I say ‘bout leaving grass blocks in the kitchen?”</p><p>Ranboo followed his gaze to the small mound of grass and dirt and smiled sheepishly. “Oops. Sorry.”</p><p>“It’s fine. Just take it out, please.”</p><p>The kid scooped up the block, going back to the door and setting the grass outside. He came back in and swiped the loose dirt off the table, moving past Tommy to throw it out the open window. Satisfied with his clean up job, Ranboo looked at Tommy, a mischievous glint in his eyes.</p><p>“It’s not like it would matter if I left it on the table though,” The kid said, obviously fighting back a grin.</p><p>Tommy narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>Ranboo laughed. “Your cooking already tastes like dirt.”</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p> </p><p>———————————<br/>
<em>Back in SMP Lands…</em><br/>
———————————</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo stared at Dream. “How is Tommy missing? Weren’t you checking on him or something?” He asked, voice trembling.</p><p>“I had business to attend to,” Dream shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets with a casual indifference. “I came back and he wasn’t anywhere in that dumb town of his. Oh!” Dream pulled something from his pocket, holding it out. “Found this, though.”</p><p>With shaking hands, Tubbo reached out and took it, stomach dropping at the sight of Tommy’s bandana. He ran his fingers over it, dread filling his chest with every tear and burn in the fabric he came across. Tubbo clutched at the fabric, holding it close to his chest and squeezing his eyes shut.</p><p>“Where did you find this?” He spoke quietly, his anger from before completely faded.</p><p>Dream waved a hand. “On the beach. Either he was dumb enough to got lost at sea or took a permanent swim. My bet’s on Tommy finally offing himself, the idiot. Wouldn’t be a surprise with how well exile was going, though.” Dream snorted, shaking his head. “Boy, was he pathetic at the end.”</p><p>Tubbo’s eyes flew open and his breathing picked up. “You think Tommy… No. He wouldn’t. Tommy wouldn’t do that. <em>He wouldn’t</em>-“</p><p>Dream cut him off with a laugh. “Are you kidding me? Tubbo, do you know how many times I found that kid just standing in the Nether, staring into lava? I even had to pull him away once because he was literally two seconds away from jumping!” He laughed again, mocking. “<em>’Tommy wouldn’t do that.’ </em> Oh, come <em>on</em>.”</p><p>Tears blurred Tubbo’s vision, his hands shaking as he tried to get a grip on himself. “He was only gone for 3 weeks…”</p><p>The masked man shrugged again. “He was weak.”</p><p>Tubbo was trembling, but he managed to steady his voice, the returning wave of anger clearing his mind for a second. “Don’t say that about him. Do <em>not.</em> Tommyinnit is a stonger and better person than you will <em>ever</em> be.” </p><p>Dream scoffed.</p><p>He jabbed a finger in Dream’s direction, gaze burning, resolve set. “You have 3 years, Dream. One year for each week Tommy was in exile. If Tommy isn’t found-“</p><p>“Yeah whatever,” Dream muttered, dismissing him. “Have fun with that.”</p><p>“IF TOMMY ISN’T FOUND,” Tubbo shouted above him, uncurling from around the bandana and setting his shoulders, using all the authority of his title. “You will have to deal with all of L’Manburg and her allies fighting against you.”</p><p>Even with the mask on, Tubbo could feel Dream’s lazy grin. </p><p>“Alright,” Dream drawled. “Then let’s hope somebody finds him.”</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>Phil woke to the sound of someone banging on his front door.</p><p>Groggily, he pulled himself upright, stuffing his bucket hat on his head and stumbling downstairs.</p><p>“‘M coming!” He shouted over the desperate knocks, trying not to trip in his haste. “Jesus christ, what do you want mate-“ Phil pulled open the door and the complaint died at the sight of a clearly distressed teenager. “…Tubbo?”</p><p>“Phil, I need to talk to you,” The president gasped, hands clasped tight to his chest, trembling.</p><p>“Okay, um…” Phil said, still in the process of waking up and very much unsure what exactly was going on. “Why don’t you come inside then, mate, you’re not looking too good.”</p><p>He stepped out of the way to let the kid in, and Tubbo mumbled a thanks, wobbling over to the kitchen table and collapsing into a chair. The president sat there, staring blankly at the wood. Confused, Phil shut the door, following Tubbo and slowly taking a seat beside him.</p><p>“I hate to interrogate you when you’re clearly upset,” Phil started cautiously. “But do you mind telling me what exactly is going on?”</p><p>Tubbo’s gaze dragged away from the wood and found Phil’s, and the older man’s heart dropped at the turmoil he saw there.</p><p>“Tommy is missing.”</p><p>Phil sucked in a sharp breath. <em>Oh.</em> Tubbo looked away again.</p><p>“Is he- is he no longer in exile?”</p><p>Tubbo shook his head, anxiously twisting something in his hands. “I was trying ask Dream to let him back for the holidays and he said,” Tubbo hiccuped, tears in his eyes. “He said Tommy killed himself.”</p><p>Phil froze, completely awake now. </p><p>
  <em>Dream said Tommy-</em>
</p><p>Tubbo continued on. “I refuse to believe that, Phil. He’s just missing, got lost somewhere. I- Tommy wouldn’t do that.” Tubbo stared at his hands, and Phil ignored the urge to chase down Dream right this second and demand answers. “He knows we care about him, he <em>knows</em>-“</p><p>Phil set a comforting hand on his back, trying hard to work through any of this shit. “Okay… Okay. What can we do? What do you need, mate?”</p><p>Tubbo sniffed, scrubbing at his eyes. “I- I need help looking for him. I need to find Tommy. I <em>need</em> to. But if he can’t-” He took a deep, albeit shaky, breath. “If we don’t find him,” The kid’s voice dropped to a whisper. “If he’s dead Phil-”</p><p> Tubbo looked up and locked eyes with the older man, the president’s gaze hardening into something sharp despite his tears.</p><p>“Then I’ll need help winning a war.”</p><p> </p><p>—————————————————<br/>
<em>The Jungle, a year and a couple months later…</em><br/>
—————————————————</p><p> </p><p>Tommy was sitting in the little workshop they had added onto the back of the house, rain pouring down the window panes. While it didn’t snow during the winter season here, it sure did rain. A lot.</p><p>Ranboo was off somewhere, probably reading or hanging out with Birdthany in the kid’s room. Tommy had finally convinced him to move into the empty bedroom after Tommy had woken up on the floor for the third night that week. Ranboo, the clingy shit that he was, had protested the separation as much as he could.</p><p>
  <em>”But I like it in here!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tommy sighed, running a hand over his face. “I know that, Ran, but we don’t fuckin’ fit. You’re already up to my shoulders, like, what the fuck is up with that? Stop growing.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ranboo threw his hands up. “I can’t help it!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tommy waved a hand. “Not the point. There’s not enough room for two big men in one bedroom anymore. That’s just it.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Can’t I just bring the other bed in here?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Then where the hell would we walk, Ran?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“…Oh.”</em>
</p><p>Eventually, Ranboo caved. Tommy helped the kid decorate his room, adding a nice perch for the feathered profanity producer and plenty of pots for his flowers. They still stayed up late with one another curled up on the couch before bed, sipping hot coca during rainstorms, reading stories by candle light. </p><p>(And if Ranboo sometimes crept in in the middle of the night and held onto Tommy because the kid could hear him calling out in his sleep again, neither one said anything about it.)</p><p> Tommy focused back in on the prosthetic lying on the table, currently dismantled at the knee joint. The rain and constant humidity had begun to warp the wood, and as much as he loved the gift from Clara, it was annoying as hell. He sighed, sanding down a section of the socket to get the pieces to fit more smoothly. He really needed to get better resources.</p><p>Over the past months they had been living out at the jungle home, Tommy had gone on a couple of caving expeditions, gathering more iron and diamonds to make a sword and pickaxe with. He still only had partial diamond armor, and he was determined to upgrade Ranboo’s full set to something sturdier as well. </p><p>What he really needed was netherite to make himself a new leg. The metal was hard to get but extremely versatile, and would be helpful in adding the neat extra modifications he and Ranboo had dreamt up in their free time. </p><p>Tommy fiddled with the moving parts of the joint, frowning. He hated the nether. He hated lava. He hated the idea of having to use tnt to mine the stuff.</p><p>But if Ranboo came with… Tommy hummed, considering.</p><p>Maybe it would be alright.</p><p>He shook his head, setting down the parts to the leg and pushing his chair away from the work space. Tommy grabbed the new pair of crutches he had made and stood, making his way towards the kitchen. </p><p>He’d bring it up at dinner.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>Ranboo stared at him, the hand full of melon seeds frozen halfway to the bird perched on his head. </p><p>Tommy rolled his eyes. “I’m not crazy, stop starin’ at me like that.”</p><p>Ranboo just kept looking at him, wide-eyed.</p><p>
  <em>”Bitch!”</em>
</p><p>“See, even Birdthany agrees with me. It’s a necessary trip, Ran.”</p><p>“But you hate the nether!” Ranboo protested in disbelief. “You’ve literally told me to ‘Never ever even think about going to that shitty ass place because it’s awful and dumb and I will kill you.’”</p><p>Tommy cursed under his breath, fidgeting with the bread on his plate. “I may, in fact, have said that at some point,” He admitted. “But!” He held up a finger. “I am the head of this household and therefore can break any rule I want.”</p><p>The kid just raised a judgmental eyebrow, lowering his arm and pouring the seeds onto the table without breaking eye contact. Birdthany squawked and flew down to begin pecking at them. </p><p>“Listen, alright?” Tommy said, dropping his bravado with a sigh. “My prosthetic is on it’s way out, and I need to replace it with something more durable than wood. Plus, I can get us better armor and an actual decent sword for myself at the same time.”</p><p>Ranboo scrunched his face up in confusion. “What do you need good armor for?”</p><p>“What is with you and questions?”</p><p>Ranboo just looked at him.</p><p>Tommy threw his hands up in exasperation. “It’s because I’m a paranoid bastard who wants to keep you safe, okay! Jesus fucking christ.”</p><p>Ranboo’s eyes scanned his face, searching for some kind of sincerity. Finding it, the kid settled back into his chair.</p><p>“Fine,” Ranboo said, taking a bite out of the last of his melon slices. “But I’m coming with you.”</p><p>Tommy nodded, a grateful smile on his face. “Was counting on it.”</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>Two days later, they stood before an unlit portal. The obsidian structure was built on the ocean shore, separated from their house by the hills. Tommy felt more comfortable with the distance, and Ranboo didn’t question him.</p><p>Tommy double checked the straps on the kid’s armor, making sure the plates of diamond were properly in place. Ranboo swatted at his hands. </p><p>“I’m fine Tommy,” The kid groaned.</p><p>“Jus’ checking, you prick.”</p><p>Ranboo rolled his eyes before beginning to snicker. “You’re acting like such a mom right now.”</p><p>Tommy spluttered. “Am not!”</p><p>“Are too!”</p><p>“Shut up!”</p><p>Ranboo just laughed at him, readjusting the bag over his shoulder. “MotherInnit,” the kid whispered to himself, giggling.</p><p>“I heard that,” Tommy grumbled, stepping away and pulling a set of flint and steel from his pocket. Taking a deep breath, Tommy struck the flint, watching as the golden sparks flew from his hands and glowing purple swirled in from the edges to fill the obsidian frame. </p><p>A quiet “Whoa…” came from behind him, and he couldn’t help but smile a little.</p><p>
  <em>It’ll be fine. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Just in and out, real quick. No big deal.</em>
</p><p>Tommy grabbed onto Ranboo’s shoulder and pulled them both into the portal, making sure the kid was close by his side as purple filled his vision.</p><p>The heat hit him first. It was awful. Not warm like the humid air of the jungle, but dry and smothering. His grip on Ranboo’s shoulder tightened as the purple cleared, and the familiar red of netherrack took its place. </p><p>
  <em>Oh fuck, this was a terrible idea.</em>
</p><p>Ranboo glanced up at him, concerned, and grabbed onto the hand on his shoulder, holding it in his own. Tommy squeezed it, not looking down at him, eyes glued to the hellish terrain.</p><p>“‘M fine buddy, don’t worry about it.”</p><p>(Tommy knew Ranboo was gonna worry anyways.)</p><p>They set off and away from the portal, carefully navigating the dangerous ground. Tommy steered them far away from any cliffs and the dull orange glow that came with them. Ranboo didn’t question why, just kept a sharp eye out for mobs or any pitfalls.</p><p>Soon, they came across an open expanse of netherrack, one Tommy deemed far enough away from any major hazards to be safe for mining. </p><p>“Alright,” He said stopping and pulling out a stack of tnt. He tried not to cringe at the sight of it and ignored the slight shake to his fingers. “I’m going to set off the explosions, and I want you to stay back. I’ll call you to come an’ collect it if we get anything.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, looking a little uneasy at the idea of letting Tommy out of his sight, but the kid reluctantly let go of his hand.</p><p>Tommy ruffled his hair. “Come on, don’t be all pussy about it. I’m a big man, I can ‘andle myself.”</p><p>He pulled out his pick and began to dig, throwing a reassuring grin over his shoulder as he went. Ranboo gave him a smile back, but the look didn’t quite reach the kid’s eyes.</p><p>They worked as a team for quite some time, with Tommy calling Ranboo down after each controlled blast to gather the debris, although Tommy didn’t know how long. He was aware he was becoming spacey, which really should’ve concerned him more, but he couldn’t help it.</p><p>Each bang of the tnt sent his skin crawling, the scent of gunpowder making him gag. Sparks peppered his skin and he cringed away from them, constantly reassuring himself that this was necessary, that it would mean Ranboo was safe. He wasn’t in exile. He was safe. Ranboo would be safe.</p><p>He kept on.</p><p>A blast rocked the mine and he stepped toward, dutifully placing another block of tnt, eyes trained on the ground. He pulled out his flint and lit the fuse, taking a few steps back.</p><p>Tommy looked past his feet and frowned.</p><p>Why was the lighting in here so strange all of a sudden?</p><p>He glanced up and blanched at the sight before him. Part of the wall had been taken away by the previous blast, and only now did Tommy comprehend that he was essentially standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast lake of magma.</p><p>Tommy stared down at the lava, frozen in place as part of the ledge crumbled away before him. He felt phantom hands digging into his shoulders, and tried to push them off, but they wouldn’t go away.</p><p>Why wouldn’t they go away?</p><p>
  <em>Why couldn’t he breathe?</em>
</p><p>Dully, he registered the sound of a fuse hissing, a faint part of his brain screaming that he was too close to it.</p><p>But there was lava and a cliff and <em>”It’s not your time to die yet, Tommy."</em> ringing in his ears and he couldn’t breathe-</p><p>He couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe-</p><p>He couldn’t-</p><p>The tnt went off.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>“—mm-?“</p><p>Oh fuck, everything hurt.</p><p>“T— my?”</p><p>Why was there such a loud ringing noise? Was someone banging on a bell right next to his ears?</p><p>“-ommy?! TOMMY!”</p><p>His eyes flew open and he groaned, rolling over onto his side, coughing. Jesus, he felt like a fuckin’ desert. Bone dry and hot as hell-</p><p>A cool hand pressed against his forehead and he blinked blearily, gazing up at Ranboo’s panicked face. He coughed again, still very dazed.</p><p>“Tommy, can you hear me?” The kid cried, grabbing at him. “Oh god- please be okay please be okay-“</p><p>“‘M fuckin’ fine, calm yourself,” He croaked, stuggling to sit up. Ranboo helped him, anxious claws tugging at his coat. Tommy glanced around and blinked, confused at the sight of being on the surface of the nether once again. “…Did you pull me out?”</p><p>Ranboo nodded frantically, hands still pushing against Tommy’s face, eyes filled to the brim with tears and anxiety.</p><p>“Hey,” Tommy rasped, gently catching his wrists. “I’m okay, Ran. ‘M fine.”</p><p>Ranboo’s lip wobbled, and Tommy was quickly reminded that Ranboo was still just a child, and Tommy had definitely just scared the shit out of him.</p><p>Tommy pulled him into his arms for a moment, holding onto the kid. He pushed back against the lingering thoughts of explosions and lava and let out a shaky breath. He let go of Ranboo, gingerly climbing to his feet. There was a bit of stumbling, and all of his bones ached like literal hell, but it was manageable. Ranboo stood as well, bag of ancient debris still hanging from his shoulders.</p><p>The kid wrapped an arm around Tommy’s waist, holding him up. Tommy was about to protest and insist he was <em>fine</em>, before glancing down and realizing his prosthetic leg was considerably more burnt than it used to be. Sighing, Tommy obliged, slinging an arm over Ranboo’s shoulders.</p><p>“Can we go home now?” Ranboo asked quietly, glancing around the nether with a distressed look.</p><p>“Sure, little man,” Tommy rasped, giving him a little squeeze. “Let’s go home.”</p><p> </p><p>—————</p><p> </p><p>That evening, Tommy sat on the couch, obediently holding still as Ranboo carefully treated his burns.</p><p>Quietly, he told the kid the basics of his exile. He spoke of losing his home and being left alone, of being hurt and despairing on the edge of a cliff, seconds away from taking that final step. Of being stopped only by the man who had hurt him the most, and having no one else to turn to afterwards.</p><p>He choked on the words, stumbled on others, tears streaming down his face. </p><p>Ranboo didn’t judge him. </p><p>They just cried together. </p><p>When they went to bed that night, Ranboo’s bedroom was empty. It wouldn’t have mattered if it hadn’t been. This time, there were no nightmares to worry about.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for the fuckton of angst in this one, but I tried to soften the blow with the ending. </p><p>Anways, here's the links to the drawings if anyone wants to check them out: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/14EPnuwN4D9OoObIE3aOQQ3gFJ-Cbcv5k/view?usp=sharing">PirateInnit</a> and <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XdufwKZ5m_W_b5b56CDKaCZDRY5Dow31/view?usp=sharing">Little Ranboo</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tommy builds his new leg.</p><p>Ranboo discovers something about himself.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>HI! I’ve been away far longer than I ever wanted to be, but last week was the end of my third quarter for school and I have never been more fucking exhausted in my life.</p><p>On the upside, I’m on spring break! Hopefully I can get another chapter out sometime this week now that I have more free time. This chapter was impossible to write because I had no idea how to connect it to the plot, but we’re finally  gearing up for my favorite part of this story ashksshjkihfh I cannot wait.</p><p>So here, take your Innit and Boo content.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Following the disastrous nether incident, Ranboo spent more time acting as Tommy’s shadow than he ever had in the past. Even days, then weeks later, Ranboo still had the tendency to hover.</p><p>Tommy would’ve said something, made a joke about the kid being clingy as hell and annoying and all that, if Ranboo’s presence hadn’t been so comforting. So Tommy didn’t say a word, just enjoyed having him around as the creation of the new netherite prosthetic took place.</p><p>Plus, the kid was very useful for holding things.</p><p>“Wrench. The smallish one.”</p><p>Cool metal was slapped into his palm.</p><p>“Screws.”</p><p>There was a clattering as the small pieces were poured out onto the work table.</p><p>“Cookie.”</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>Tommy looked at his outstretched hand. Empty. He looked up at the kid sitting on the work table next to the parts of the new prosthetic.</p><p>“Ran, where’s my cookie?”</p><p>Ranboo stared at him, unimpressed. “You literally ate all of them yesterday.”</p><p>Tommy gasped, scandalized. “I did no such thing! An’ if I did, why didn’t we make more?”</p><p>Ranboo shrugged. “I think we’re out of cocoa again.”</p><p>Tommy frowned. “Well that’s dumb,” he grumbled, screwing one of the last plates onto the frame of the limb. “Who let that happen?”</p><p>The kid laughed. “Definitely you.”</p><p>There was a loud click as Tommy snapped part of the knee joint in place. A few more screws disappeared into the shining purple metal. It had taken quite a while to collect enough diamonds to combine with the stuff, especially considering how scuffed his wooden leg was after- well... after accidentally blowing it up. The time spent was well worth it, though.</p><p>The thing was a masterpiece. Sleek, surprisingly light due to the hollow design, with joints well oiled and easy to bend. At least, that was the hope. He hadn’t tested it out quite yet.</p><p>Ranboo watched eagerly as Tommy fitted the last couple panels in place, carefully attaching a new set of leather straps as well.</p><p>“Will it work?” the kid questioned, poking at the foot.</p><p>Tommy grinned up at him. “Well, we fuckin’ hope so, don’t we?”</p><p>Then, because Tommyinnit was a god damn genius, he got a brilliant idea on just how to test the new limb out.</p><p>“Say, Ran,” Tommy said, pushing all of the scattered tools to the side of the work table. Ranboo quickly reached out and caught a wrench before it went tumbling onto the floor. Tommy didn’t notice as he pulled the leg into his lap. “Why don’t we go try this thing out? We can get more of the cocoa an’ make cookies t’ celebrate.”</p><p>Ranboo looked absolutely delighted by the idea. “I’ll go get my shoes!” he declared, sliding off the table and practically flying out the door. (The kid really had only one speed: fast.)</p><p>Tommy watched him go, amused. With how excited the kid was by the new prosthetic, you’d think Ranboo was the one who would be wearing it, not him.</p><p>He lifted the leg from his lap, setting the foot on the floor. With motions so practiced it was like tying a shoe, Tommy slipped his stump into it, strapping the limb on. Carefully, he stood, bending a little to test it out. He took a few steps, shifting his weight around.</p><p>So far, so good.</p><p>Tommy snatched his jacket from the back of the chair sitting at the work table, shrugging it on as he wandered into the living room. Ranboo burst out of his room a second later, shoes on and already tied. A screeched <em>”You dickhead!”</em> followed the kid out before the door closed.</p><p>Tommy raised an eyebrow. “Birdthany not coming?”</p><p>“Nope,” Ranboo said, shaking his head. “She always tries to eat the cocoa beans. It makes her sick.” He glanced back at the closed door, looking like for all the world like a concerned parent. “I think she has a death wish.”</p><p>Tommy snorted. “I would not be surprised, little man. That bird is fuckin’ weird.”</p><p>“No weirder than you!” Ranboo shot back, already running past him and out the front door.</p><p>“Hey!” Tommy shouted. “I’m not weird, I’m absolutely poggers! You’ve jus’ got it backwards!”</p><p>Ranboo rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, old man!”</p><p>“You’re only like eight years younger than me!”</p><p>“Don’t care! You’re still old!”</p><p>Tommy gasped. “This is slander! ‘M not gonna stand for this. I refuse.”</p><p>Ranboo stopped moving, hands on his hips. “Then start walking. You’re taking <em>forever.</em>”</p><p>Tommy obliged, grumbling. “When did you get so sassy?”</p><p>He was given a flat look. “I live with you, Tommy.”</p><p>“Hmm. Fair.”</p><p>They wandered out of the yard, the sun soon hidden under the shadows of the thick canopy. Tommy followed a well-traveled path through the ferns and vines, Ranboo bouncing along behind.</p><p>“How’s the leg? Does it work?”</p><p>Tommy glanced down at it. The prosthetic was actually working rather well. The weight was a bit different than what he was used to, and the joint was a little stiffer than he would like, catching the slightest bit every once in a while. He’d have to adjust that later.</p><p>But for a first test-run, it wasn’t bad at all.</p><p>“Seems to be working jus’ fine,” Tommy smiled over his shoulder. “My assistant was good at his job, I s’pose.”</p><p>Ranboo grinned back.</p><p>The path up ahead forked, and Tommy took the left side. The right led to the pond, the left to their favorite stash of cocoa plants. Sure, they could just move some of ‘em closer to the house, but where was the adventure in that?</p><p>They reached their destination and split out of habit, Tommy going to one side of the grove and Ranboo to the other. The next handful of minutes were spent in peaceful work, the rustle of leaves and Tommy’s humming blending in with the calls of wild parrots.</p><p>Tommy was absentmindedly humming the tune to Cat, sat on the ground and filling his pockets with cocoa beans as he shelled them. He was stuffing another handful into his pocket when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and Tommy tensed. Something was off. Call him fucking crazy, but years spent living on the streets followed by time as a child soldier had given him killer instincts.</p><p>(Ranboo called them his “Dad Danger Radar”. Tommy called Ranboo an idiot and playfully smacked him upside the head.)</p><p>He pulled his attention away from the beans in his lap and turned toward the other side of the grove, where Ranboo was contentedly picking cocoa beans, arms full of them.</p><p>The kid seemed to be fine...</p><p>Tommy’s eyes slid past him to the shadows behind where the kid was standing. His blood ran cold, and he shot to his feet.</p><p>“Ranboo! Look out!”</p><p>The kid’s head snapped up, looking over at him. “What?” he called back.</p><p>Tommy started running. He had no weapon, but he had to do something, anything-</p><p>“Creeper!”</p><p>Ranboo’s eyes widened and the kid spun, coming face to to face with the thing. He cried out and stumbled back a few steps as the tell-tale hissing filled the air.</p><p>There was a clicking sound, much louder than the hiss, and Tommy glanced down in bewilderment as the prosthetic locked up. His eyes widened as he stumbled and was sent sprawling into the grass.</p><p>Tommy quickly pushed himself onto his hands and knees, gaze locked on Ranboo, who had frozen in fear as the hissing got louder.</p><p>
  <em>No no no no no-</em>
</p><p>“Ran, MOVE!”</p><p>
  <em>He should have brought a sword, should’ve worn his other leg, why did he-</em>
</p><p>The creeper exploded, and he watched helplessly as Ranboo disappeared in a cloud of smoke and dust.</p><p>Tommy screamed.</p><p>He tried to get up, leg scrabbling for purchase in the dirt-</p><p>And then something heavy with very pointy elbows fell on top of him.</p><p>“<em>Oof-</em>“</p><p>Tommy groaned. Rolling out from beneath it, he began spitting out dirt from where his face had been ground into the earth. </p><p>Fucking <em>ow</em>.

Confused, he glanced to the side and locked eyes with an extremely surprised looking Ranboo.

They stared at each other.

And stared at each other.

Tommy graciously broke the silence.


 </p><p>”What the <em>fuck</em> was that?”</p><p>Slowly sitting up, Ranboo looked down at his hands, staring at them in shock. “I- I don’t really know?”</p><p>“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Tommy pushed himself up, reaching out to grab onto one of the kid’s arms. “Are you alright?” Ranboo nodded jerkily. Tommy squinted at him. The worrying paused for a second, anxiety stolen by further confusion. </p><p>“Why the hell do you have purple shit floating around you?”</p><p>Ranboo tore his gaze away from his hands, eyes going impossibly wider at the sight of violet particles in the air around him. “I don’t know!” </p><p>
  <em>What the hell-</em>
</p><p>Tommy glanced over his shoulder at the smoldering crater. He looked back at Ranboo, who was still staring at the fading particles, gaping at them. He looked back at the crater. The considerably far away crater. The much-too-far-away-for-any-other-explanation crater.</p><p>
  <em>Literally, what the hell-</em>
</p><p>“Ran,” Tommy said, slowly. “I think you <em>may</em> have- and this is just a bit of a guess- just fuckin’ teleported.”</p><p>Ranboo’s head snapped up. “I <em>what</em>?” he squeaked.</p><p>“Teleported- holy <em>fuck</em> you just...  like an enderman. Of which you are half.” Tommy gestured to the dark side of Ranboo’s skin and his green eye. “I mean, you already do that whole block-carrying thing, so you having these powers isn’t much stranger. Jesus Christ, <em>what</em>-“</p><p>“Oh, yeah, I-“ Ranboo looked away, brow furrowed. “I guess.”</p><p>Tommy stopped his rambling, watching the kid, who had started to worry at his lip.</p><p><em>Okay, something’s up,</em> Tommy thought, frowning. <em>Kid’s being shifty. Sound the alarm ‘n shit.</em></p><p>Tommy decided to pry. “Hey,” he said. “What’s wrong, Ran?”</p><p>The kid curled into himself and let out a frustrated huff, pulling his arm out of Tommy’s grip and hugging himself instead. “I don’t <em>get it</em>. Why- why do I have all these weird things I do? You’re normal, you don’t act like that and- I don’t even know <em>how</em> I just did that I just-“ Ranboo’s voice got small. “I don’t like not being in control. Why am I so weird? Why-“</p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How long has he felt like this? </em>
</p><p>Tommy cut him off. “Okay, first of all, you’re not weird just ‘cause you’ve got hybrid traits. Absolutely not. If my joking around ever made you think that was true, then ‘m really sorry little man. Second, if you’re worried ‘bout control ‘n all that, we can train you or something. There’s gotta be a way to learn, right?”</p><p>Ranboo relaxed a little. “Yeah... I guess so.” He looked up at Tommy, eyes worried. “You really don’t care that I’m- I’m a hybrid with mob powers?”</p><p>With a sigh, Tommy reached out and pulled the kid into a hug, ruffling his hair. “Nope,” Tommy declared. “I don’t. I’ve been living with you for over a year now, Ran, if I hated you for existing I would’a said something.” He paused for a moment. “Besides, my uh- my dickhead father was a hybrid too. Same with that arsehole family friend who taught me to sword fight. ‘M used to it.”</p><p>“Really?”</p><p>“Really.”</p><p>“...Oh.”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Tommy gave Ranboo one last reassuring squeeze and made to get up before realizing the prosthetic was still all fucked. Aw <em>man</em>.</p><p>“Ran, would you be able to help me walk back?” Tommy asked, pushing at the joint and trying to unstick it. “The leg’s all scuffed.”</p><p>Ranboo pulled away and peered at it. “What happened?”</p><p>“I tried to run after you and it broke. We gotta to tweak it a bit.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded and helped Tommy up, bracing him as the started to hobble back home. They left the grove, both quiet as they tried to process everything that had just happened in the past few minutes.</p><p>They were halfway back when Ranboo suddenly stopped.</p><p>Tommy glanced down at him, concerned. “What is it?”</p><p>“I lost all my cocoa beans!”</p><p>Tommy burst out laughing. The kid had a completely distraught look on his face.</p><p>He patted his own pockets reassuringly. “I’ve got some, don’t worry. You make the cookies when we get back, I’ll fix the leg. Deal?”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, and they started walking again. “Deal.”</p><p>When they got back, Ranboo split off into the kitchen, hands full of the beans from Tommy. Tommy hobbled his way into the workshop, collapsing into the chair and pulling off the limb.</p><p>He set it on the table and stared at it. </p><p>The thing had locked up at the worst possible time. If the kid hadn’t instinctually <em>teleported</em> of all things... Tommy took a deep breath. </p><p>
  <em>It’s fine. Just fix it and it’ll be fine. Make sure it doesn’t happen again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You’re fine.</em>
</p><p>He picked up his tools and began working.</p><p>Half an hour later, Ranboo popped in, the smell of chocolate chip cookies following him. “They’re done!” he chirped.</p><p>Tommy didn’t respond, bent over the limb, focused in on it. The joint had already been altered, and now he was adding on something else.</p><p>“What are you doing?” Ranboo questioned, puzzled. “That’s not part of the blueprint.”</p><p>Tommy shrugged, not looking up. “I looked at it and thought, ‘You know what this needs? More knives.’ So ‘m adding knives. You can never have enough on you, right? Big Man Innit needs his stabbin’ abilities ready to go at all times.”</p><p>Ranboo scrunched up his face, but the kid didn’t question it, despite the fact that he obviously wanted to. “Okayyyy... well, I’m gonna go hang out with Birdthany. She’s yelling again.”</p><p>Tommy chuckled. “She’s always yelling, Ran, that’s her only volume.”</p><p>Ranboo giggled and set a cookie down on the table, darting over to hug Tommy from behind before running off to his room.</p><p>Tommy watched him go. He set down his tools and sighed, running a hand through his hair. He picked up the cookie and took a bite, eyes locked back onto the new addition to the limb.</p><p>Small, sharp throwing knives that could be released from the panels in a split second.</p><p>Tommy didn’t really know how to use a throwing knife, but he would learn. It shouldn’t be too hard. He hadn’t intended something like this back when he first started building the leg, but after today...</p><p>His mind flashed back to the grove, uselessly watching the creeper close in on Ranboo from the ground.</p><p>He refused to be helpless like that again.</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>Over the next few months, life at the jungle house was a bit... chaotic, to say the least.</p><p>As much as Tommy and Ranboo attempted to get the teleporting under control, managing it turned out to be a bit more difficult than expected.</p><p>Ranboo seemed to do it instinctively, whenever he was in danger or stressed by something. The only problem was, Ranboo’s instincts seemed to have a hard time figuring out when danger was really <em>danger</em>.</p><p>Like this one time when Tommy was playing tag with the kid, playfully chasing him around the yard. Tommy’s hand closed in the back of Ranboo’s shirt, and he let out a triumphant yell as Ranboo screamed. Suddenly, his hand was empty and he ground to a halt, confused.</p><p>A split second later, Ranboo reappeared in the melon patch, arms windmilling, and promptly face planted into the dirt.</p><p>Tommy winced. Ouch. That one definitely hurt.</p><p>“You okay, Ran?” he called.</p><p>There was a loud groan in response.</p><p>They’d made a trip to get ice after that one, and Tommy made sure to always have some in the house, just in case.</p><p>Or like the time at dinner, when Ranboo had spent all day out in his summer flower patch, and a strong breeze had been blowing all of the pollen and shit into his face. Turns out, even endermen hybrid children can have allergies. Who knew?</p><p>Ranboo sniffled, eyes watering.</p><p>Tommy watched him, concerned. “You sure there’s nothing I can do? You look fuckin’ miserable, buddy.”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head. “No, I’m fine, I- ah...” The kid let out a massive sneeze.</p><p>...And disappeared.</p><p>Tommy sat frozen, staring open mouthed at the purple particles floating around where Ranboo had just been sitting.</p><p>There was a thump overhead. Tommy looked up, quickly connected the dots and ran outside. He spun and looked up at the roof.</p><p>“How do I get down?” Ranboo yelled, holding on tight onto the chimney. </p><p>
  <em>Oh my god, what the hell-</em>
</p><p>The kid sneezed again. Luckily, nothing happened this time.</p><p>“Uhh- I’ll craft a ladder, hold on little man!” Tommy yelled, sprinting back into the house.</p><p>Or that other time, when it was nearing fall, and it was absolutely pouring outside. </p><p>Thunder boomed overhead. </p><p>Ranboo and Tommy were curled up on the couch, mugs of hot cocoa steaming on the coffee table. Ranboo was leaning back against Tommy’s chest, both of them reading out of the book in Tommy’s hands. Birdthany was perched nearby, but the rain always put her to sleep, so they were spared her colorful language for a moment.</p><p>The rain lashed against the window panes, and Ranboo snuggled closer. Tommy turned a page.</p><p>A clap of thunder sounded right overhead, incredibly loud. They both startled.</p><p>Birdthany woke up with a screamed <em>”Fuck!”</em>.</p><p>The kid vanished.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>Not <em>again</em>.</p><p>Tommy threw down the book and rolled onto his feet, trying to figure out where Ranboo could’ve ended up this time.</p><p>He didn’t have to.</p><p>The front door creaked open seconds later,  blowing in wind and rain and a shivering, sopping Ranboo.</p><p>“Oh shit,” Tommy said eloquently, running to go get towels.</p><p>That one was the worst. The water irritated Ranboo’s skin, leaving him red and sore for the next few days. Tommy treated the worst of it, but it still sucked.</p><p>It happened less often as time went on, Ranboo seeming to gain a bit of control with more practice accidentally launching himself through space.</p><p>As Ranboo gained more control, though, Tommy grew more restless.</p><p>Sure, he loved living in the jungle with Ranboo. It was the most peace he’d ever had in his life. The most safe he’d been in years, and he couldn’t ask for anything more, especially because it meant Ranboo was safe. But... Tommy was an adventurer, a traveler and builder of nations, a fighter of wars.</p><p>Living in the jungle where absolutely nothing happened on a regular basis was boring as shit.</p><p>A little while after the two year anniversary of his shipwreck, the itch to do <em>something</em> became so much that even Ranboo picked up on it.</p><p>The kid set down his journal with a thump, staring at Tommy. </p><p>“What?” He asked, indignantly, looking back at Ranboo. “Why are you looking at me like that?”</p><p>“Something’s up with you. You’re all twitchy and stuff.”</p><p>Tommy stopped the pacing he had been doing, sticking his hands under his armpits to hold them still. “Am not.”</p><p>Ranboo cocked an eyebrow in challenge. “Really?”</p><p>“Yup.”</p><p>“Liar,” the kid muttered, tucking the memory book away. He stood up, walked over to Tommy and poked him in the chest. Ranboo was already up to his chin, which was horrible. Tommy was losing his powers of intimidation with every inch the kid gained on him.</p><p>“Hey, watch it,” Tommy grabbed the offending claw. “I’m fine, you’re just thinking too hard.”</p><p>Ranboo stared him down. “Uh-huh. I’m just imagining the fact that you’ve been pacing the same ten feet of floor for the past half hour and staring off into the distance,” he deadpanned. “You look crazy.”</p><p>“Now that’s just rude,” Tommy huffed.</p><p>Ranboo looked at him, scrutinizing. “You’re bored, aren’t you? Sick of not having to be on edge all the time, and you think there’s nothing to do here.”</p><p>Tommy’s eyes widened. Damn the kid and his ability to read others. He may be awkward around new people, but if you knew him long enough, trying to avoid Ranboo was like trying to cheat a lie detector test.</p><p>Picking up on Tommy’s surprise, Ranboo grinned triumphantly. “That <em>is</em> it! I was right!”</p><p>“Well, fine. Why the fuck does it matter? You’re happy here, and it’s safe here. So what if ‘m a little bored sometimes?”</p><p>The kid frowned at him. “Do I have to give you a lecture?”</p><p>“What? No! I don’t want a talking to from an 11 year old what the fuck-“</p><p>“You need a lecture.” Ranboo pushed him over to the couch and forced him to sit, Tommy spluttering in indignation.</p><p>“Now,” Ranboo said, hands on hips. “You said I like it here, which is true. You said I’m happy. Also true. But Tommy,” Ranboo’s mismatched eyes practically bored into Tommy’s soul. “You need to be happy too.”</p><p>Tommy rolled his eyes. “I <em>am</em> happy Ran-“</p><p>“Nope!” the kid held up a hand. “Not done.”</p><p>Tommy sagged back into the couch, grumbling.</p><p>“You’re not happy, you’re content,” Ranboo continued. “Not the same thing.”</p><p>“Where did you learn all these big words?”</p><p>“I’m literally going to hit you.”</p><p>“Jesus, okay. Sorry.”</p><p>“So,” the kid dragged on. “What do you need to be less bored all the time?”</p><p>Tommy sighed, giving in. “I just- I need something new, Ran. I love it here with you, I really do,” he glanced up at Ranboo, who was listening with genuine interest. “But I’ve got this fuckin’ urge to get moving, to- to adventure! I’m not built for this-“ He waved his hands around at their home. “At least not yet, anyways.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, thinking. “So we should go traveling again.” His eyes suddenly lit up with an idea, and he bounced on his feet, excited.</p><p>Tommy got worried.</p><p>“We should be pirates!”</p><p>Yep, there it was. </p><p>Tommy buried his face in his hands. “Ran, how are you still on that? Besides, bring a pirate is <em>illegal</em>. Crime. That’s just crime.”</p><p>Ranboo ran over and pulled his hands away, eager. “Not if we don’t steal anything! We could just get a boat and sail and look for cool stuff! Then you won’t be bored!”</p><p>Tommy stared at him. “Ranboo, you have a water allergy.”</p><p>The kid shrugged. “That’s fine.”</p><p>“No? What if you fall overboard? Or it rains? Then you’ll get all red an’ itchy-“</p><p>“Shhh,” Ranboo said, placing a hand over Tommy’s mouth. “There’s gotta be magic or something, right? You told be about those fire resistance potions, maybe we can enchant my armor or make a new potion or- uh... something. <em>Please?</em>”</p><p>Tommy considered it. He didn’t have the best experience with boats, but up until that storm, sailing had been nice. Maybe if they built a proper ship, not one made with shitty materials he found in exile-</p><p>He sighed. “Fine.”</p><p>“YES!” Ranboo pulled away and did a little happy dance in the middle of the living room.</p><p>“But!” Tommy interrupted. “Only if we find a way to waterproof you first. Deal?”</p><p>“Deal!”</p><p>Okay. Playing at pirates it was.</p><p>Tommy smiled as Ranboo ran over to tell Birdthany, rapidly rambling in Ender. The kid was ridiculously excited, and honestly, it sounded kinda fun.</p><p>A new adventure. He could go for that.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I would just very sincerely like to say thank you so much for everything. There just been an obnoxious amount of kind feedback and kudos on this work. Its kinda always been a goal of mine to break 1000 kudos and now I’m at 1300? Like...HUH?! Where did y’all come from?</p><p>Anyways, thanks so much for the all comments, they make me smile so much and I literally love all of you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Boat Time</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hate this chapter so much. I hate it. It feels so forced and there's like no dialogue and I can only write emotional shit and dialogue hnnnggggggggh</p><p>Just... just take it. I give up. *sigh*</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Later that week, they moved out of the jungle house. Tommy had been busy packing the essentials, putting their greatest valuables into an end chest he had bartered for months ago. He gathered as much food as the two of them could reasonably carry, leaving the rest of the garden behind for some lucky bastard to stumble across. Ranboo packed a bag with his books, favorite blanket, and plenty of seeds for Birdthany, who was <em>not</em> happy about having to give up her perch. </p><p>When all the preparation was done, they met up in the weirdly barren living room, full bags over their shoulders and a matching glint of excitement in their eyes. </p><p>Tommy cast one last glance around the room, thinking of all the time they had spent there. Stormy nights reading on the couch, hot days sipping iced melon juice and lying on the cool floor as Ranboo babbled about his newest addition to the flower garden. Happy things. </p><p>“You’re not gonna miss it? At least a little?” he asked.</p><p>Ranboo shrugged, jostling Birdthany, who gave an indignant squawk of disapproval and moved onto the kid’s head. “A little, I guess.” The kid copied Tommy, taking a glance around before coming back to look at him again.  “But I’d rather be out there. With you.” He smiled softly up at Tommy, looking utterly ridiculous with his hair all askew and a pissed scarlet bird wrapped up in it.</p><p>And TommyInnit, Big Man Extraordinaire™, felt his heart melt into a big pile of goo. Everything felt all warm and golden in his chest. <em>God, I love this kid.</em> He laughed quietly and pushed Ranboo’s hair out of his eyes, brushing it gently to the side. No matter what they did, Ranboo seemed to suffer from a chronic case of bedhead. (It was probably Birdthany’s fault.)</p><p>“That so, little man?”</p><p>“Mhm.”</p><p>The golden warmth swelled.</p><p><em>I could get used to this feeling.</em> He thought. <em>’S nice.</em></p><p>“Well then,” Tommy clapped his hands. “Let’s get this show on the road then, shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>They traveled for a few days, following the coast. Tommy had asked around when they came upon a small village, and the inhabitants pointed the pair in the direction of what he had been told was a fairly large port. </p><p>“If you’re looking for a ship, that city is where you’ll want to go,” explained one merchant offhandedly, busy setting up his stand. Tommy had thanked him and they moved on.</p><p>The inhabitants had given them some funny looks as they passed through, what with Tommy’s leg and Ranboo’s abnormal appearance, but no one caused any trouble. Tommy, with his ever-present wariness of others, was just grateful for the uneventful trip.</p><p>If there was one thing to be said about the people of this nation compared to the SMP, it was their toleration of others.</p><p>They crested a large hill, pausing on the road to take in the sight before them. The sprawling city of the port shone in the afternoon sunshine, buildings pressing up against the surf. The city was bustling with life, people wandering between buildings or pushing carts, doors opening and closing as venders shouted over the ruckus. A maze of docks stretched over the water, accompanied by a multitude of ships, sails tied up against the breeze. Even from this distance, you could hear the gulls shrieking over the wind. </p><p>They made their way into the city, Ranboo staring in awe at the fairly large buildings, all rather well-kept and washed in light colors or made with bright wood. Tommy followed the flow of people, making sure the kid stayed close. They emerged into the port’s center, buildings stretching away from a central square bursting with stalls, carts, and conversing people. Tommy watched the crowd, trying to decide who looked the most approachable and willing to answer questions. </p><p>His eyes fell on a woman on the far side of the square, herding a group of children away from a stone fountain, trying to keep them out of the water. She seemed nice enough.</p><p>Tommy gestured for Ranboo to follow, and they made their way over. The poor lady was dealing with chaos.</p><p>She was trying to coax out one boy who was standing in the fountain, pretending to be deaf as his pants soaked through.</p><p>“Cletus, no, get out of the fountain-“</p><p>Another one of the kids started wailing, rubbing at their now wet face. The woman spun away from Cletus, hastily dabbing at the crying child’s face with her skirt while she scolded the last boy. </p><p>“Charles, what did I tell you about splashing Benjamin? We don’t throw water!”</p><p>For a moment, Tommy was reminded of Phil. Back when they were kids, trying to contain Wilbur and prevent Tommy and Tubbo from killing each other (or someone else) with their newest shit plan at the same time.</p><p>His heart ached a little, compass feeling heavier against his chest. He missed his partner in crime.</p><p>Ranboo laughed beside him as the Cletus kid overbalanced and accidentally sat in the water. The ache battled with the familiar golden feeling. The warmth won out.</p><p>Tommy came up behind the lady, Ranboo watching curiously as the other kids got in a squabble. Tommy marched up to the Cletus kid and plucked the little shit out of the fountain, setting him back on the street.</p><p>“Hey!” The boy shouted, arms crossed indignantly as a puddle began around his feet. “What was that for?”</p><p>“The nice lady didn’t seem too fond of you taking a swim, is all.”</p><p>Ranboo snickered behind him. Cletus shot the kid a glare, huffing. “Yeah, well- uh… you’re stupid. And ugly. I hate you.”</p><p>Tommy grinned at him. “Whatever you say, bitch.”</p><p>The lady finished dabbing off Benjamin’s face, turning to deal with Cletus before stopping in surprise at the sight of one of her boys insulting a young stranger. She grabbed at Cletus, pulling him away from Tommy and giving the boy a light smack upside the head. She smiled sheepishly at them. “I’m sorry, was he bothering you two? I told him not to talk to people minding their business but he just <em>will not</em> listen-“</p><p>“Nah, he’s good.” Tommy waved her off. “We weren’t really minding our business anyways, I kinda interfered a bit.”</p><p>Ranboo left his side, cautiously moving over to the group of kids before stopping by Charles. Tommy watched him carefully, making sure the other kids didn’t try anything. </p><p>Charles squinted up at Ranboo, taking in his height and strange split coloration.  After a moment, he spoke. “Cool eyes,” he said.</p><p>Ranboo smiled shyly. “Thanks.”</p><p>“Why the hell do you have a parrot?” Cletus demanded. </p><p>“Uh…”</p><p>Meh, the kid would be fine. Tommy turned his attention back to the woman, who was wringing out the now sopping part of her skirt. “I hate to bother you when you obviously have your hands full, but is there a library around here?” he asked. “We’re new to the area, I don’t really know where anything is.”</p><p>“Oh!” The lady looked at him with greater interest. “There is! It’s a large, bluish-white building, has spruce accents.” She pointed to their left, down one of the main streets. “Just go that direction, you can’t miss it.”</p><p>“Thanks, ma’am. Really.”</p><p>She nodded. “It’s no problem.”</p><p>“Ran!” He called, and Ranboo looked up from something the other boys were showing him. “We’re heading out.”</p><p>Benjamin pouted. “But we just made friends with him!”</p><p>“Yeah!” Cletus argued. “He’s fun, not like you!”</p><p>Tommy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, okay. Sorry, but we actually do have to keep going.”</p><p>Ranboo said goodbye and came back over to Tommy’s side as they moved away from the fountain. “I liked them,” he said, still smiling. “They were really nice. Charles said my eyes were cool.”</p><p>Tommy hummed in agreement. “That’s ‘cause they are. Coolest eyes I’ve ever seen. Make you look all mysterious ’n shit.”</p><p>Ranboo thought about this as they wove their way through the crowd, Tommy scanning the buildings for one that looked the way the woman had described. “Do I want to look mysterious? You already look funny enough. I don’t need to add to that.”</p><p>Tommy gave him a playful shove. Ranboo laughed.</p><p>They spotted the library, crossing the street to its steps. It wasn’t a massive building, especially not in comparison to some of the buildings Tommy had seen back in the SMP, but it was still rather beautiful to look at. Spruce planks formed the corners, the doors, boxed in windows. The rest of the walls were made with bluey-white concrete, with some pretty terracotta accents thrown in. </p><p>Ranboo, who couldn’t really remember anything before his life with Clara, had never seen anything like it. His eyes were wide with amazement. “It’s so <em>big</em>,” he murmured. </p><p>Tommy chuckled. “Wait until you see the inside, little man. Your mind’s gonna be fuckin’ blown.”</p><p>They walked up the steps and Tommy prepared to open the door before something occurred to him and he paused. “Ran, Birdthany’s gonna have to stay outside. I don’t think they want loud, profane birds in their library, as delightful as she is.”</p><p>As if to prove his point, Birdthany gave out a shrill <em>”Prick!"</em>. Ranboo and Tommy glanced at her in surprise. Huh. That one was new.</p><p>Ranboo frowned. “I see your point.” He switched to Ender, quietly giving Birdthany instructions, and she flapped off with a screech to go perch somewhere and terrorize random pedestrians. </p><p>That taken care of, Tommy opened the door, stepping into the hush of the building. The contrast between the bright and busy street and the quiet dim of the library was startling. Ranboo followed behind, mouth falling open at the sight of rows upon rows of shelved books. Ladders lead up to a second balcony floor. </p><p>“There’s so many!” He whisper-yelled, practically vibrating with excitement. “I’ve never seen this many books in my life!” He snatched Tommy’s hand, tugging at it. “Tommy! Look at them all, oh my god. There’s so many!”</p><p>Tommy smiled at the enthusiasm, guiding the awestruck kid over to a help desk, where a man was reading quietly. He asked for nautical books and was pointed in the right direction without the man’s eyes ever leaving the page. Tommy pulled Ranboo down the isles of books. The kid reverently traced a hand across the spines as they passed. </p><p>They made it to the correct section, and Tommy let Ranboo loose. The kid immediately disappeared into the maze of shelves. Running his fingers over the titles, Tommy plucked a few books from their places. Ones on basic knots, how to sail an actual ship, weather patterns at sea, that sort of thing. If they were going to become “pirates”, Tommy needed to actually know <em>how</em>.</p><p>He had pulled another book from the shelf, this one on how to properly maintenance a ship, when a purple shimmer caught his eye. He set down the stack of books, curious. Pushing a few more to the side, Tommy’s eyes widened in surprise. Shoved flat against the back of the shelf, previously hidden, was an enchanting book. Shimmering purple and blue light flitted across the cover. Tommy picked it up, utterly confused as to how it might have gotten there, and anxious to know what kind of enchantment it held. </p><p>He flipped open the front cover, scanning the writing on the inside cover. Curled, loopy script read <em>Water Protection II</em>. Tommy blinked. No way. No fucking way he was this lucky. He had never seen an enchant like this one before, but the title was pretty much self-explanatory. If he could get a cleric to duplicate it… </p><p>He glanced around, checking to make sure no one was looking before tucking it in his jacket. Voila. Ranboo waterproofing solved. </p><p>Big Man Innit was on a roll.</p><p>Tommy gathered his stack of books and wandered through the shelves, trying to figure out where the kid had gotten off to. He found Ranboo in the history area, the section involving the history of pirates and the seas. (<em>Naturally.</em>)</p><p>They took their books to the front desk and checked them out, Tommy stuffing the rather large collection into his bag. He thanked the librarian, who only nodded, already buried back in his book. Together they left the library, Ranboo still in a daze from the whole experience. Tommy mentally braced himself for a night of being bombarded by pirate facts and stories. (Though he had learned over the years that the kid was a fantastic storyteller, so it wouldn’t be <em>too</em> awful.)</p><p>Ranboo let out a loud, warbling chirp as they reached the street and Birdthany appeared out of nowhere, settling on his head again. Tommy readjusted his bag, shifting it around to try to get comfortable with the new weight. His stump was starting to ache a bit from all the walking, but they had one more stop before they could rest for the day.</p><p>“Where are we going now?” Ranboo asked, giving Birdthany a scratch.</p><p>“Best spot yet,” Tommy replied. “The docks.”</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>Ranboo ran off the second they arrived, a little monochrome blur as soon as the ships came in sight. Tommy almost called him back, but thought better of it. Tommy didn’t want to smother him. He knew Ranboo wouldn’t do anything stupid, the kid would be fine exploring on hi sown for a bit. Instead, he hunted down and struck up a conversation with one of the men running the shipyard. </p><p>“You’re looking for a boat, is ya?” The man gave him a critical look, setting down the fishing net he had been untangling. “Little young for a ship, don’t ya think?”</p><p>Tommy bristled. “I’m not a damn child, if that’s what you’re asking. ‘M a fucking adult.”</p><p>The man didn’t really seem to believe him, but didn’t argue the point. He scratched at his beard. </p><p>“Well… I’ve got one or two that can be loaned, if that’s what you’re askin’.”</p><p>“No,” Tommy shook his head. “I need to buy it.”</p><p>The man’s eyebrows shot up. “You think ya can afford that? Boats aren’t cheap.”</p><p>Tommy though about the enderchest he had tucked away, and how much was in it. “Yes,” he declared, full of confidence. The man gave him a skeptical look, but caved. </p><p>“Okay. If you say so.”  Tommy was lead down the docks, away from the larger ships. “I’ve got one ya might like, she’s pretty new, untested. Smallish, but I think she’ll suit ya just fine.”</p><p>They made it to the end of the docks, where a ship was bobbing on the waves. Tommy recognized the type from one of the books he had skimmed through earlier. A galeas or something. Two masts, usually used for trading, could be manned by a small crew. It was a lovely oak, with a small cabin at the back that he and Ranboo would have no problem sharing. </p><p>Now for the hardest part. “How much?” Tommy asked, tucking his hands in his coat pockets to avoid fidgeting. He had to play his cards right for this to work.</p><p>“What can ya offer?”</p><p>Tommy did some math. He needed enough money left over to pay for the duplication of the enchantment book, but they had a decent amount of supplies. With the amount of diamonds he had stashed during the time in the jungle…</p><p>“I can do three diamond blocks. That enough?”</p><p>The rude bastard threw back his head and laughed. “Not even close! Three blocks? Really?”</p><p>Tommy scowled. That’s what he’d been expecting, but still. “Fine. Five blocks. And two ingots of netherite. That’s the best I’ve got.”</p><p>The man’s laugh died away, his expression morphing into something incredulous as he scrutinized Tommy. “Netherite? That’s not easy to get ahold of, kid. Ya sure ya have some?”</p><p>Tommy stared at him. Was this guy fucking blind? Had he not taken a single look down this whole time? <em>Dumbass.</em> Tommy looked down at his leg for a moment, then back up at the guy. </p><p>“Uh…Yup,” he said slowly. “Pretty fuckin’ sure.”</p><p>The man followed his look and his eyes went wide, mouth falling open. An embarrassing squeak came out. Dumbly, the man held out his hand, and Tommy shook it, grinning. </p><p>He pulled out the enderchest and payed before setting off to go figure out where the fuck his kid had gone. </p><p> </p><p>——————</p><p> </p><p>Tommy ran his hand over the ship’s hull, fingers skidding across smooth oak planks. The boat’s sails were a fresh white, turning peach as the sun began to set. There was even a small red flag flapping from the mast.</p><p>Tommy hadn’t even been on board yet, but he already could tell. She was gonna be perfect.</p><p>There was a dull thudding noise overhead, and Ranboo’s face poked over the rail, peering down at him from the deck of the ship. The kid’s eyes were bright with wonder, hair already sticking up in all directions from the ocean breeze. He grinned down at Tommy.</p><p>“I love it!”</p><p>“Yeah?” Tommy replied, stepping back to see him better. “Has it got the official Boo stamp of approval?”</p><p>Ranboo disappeared behind the rail without responding. Tommy shrugged it off and kept on proudly admiring the ship, <em>their</em> ship. Suddenly, he was nearly plowed over by a hug. Ranboo practically squished him, the kid was holding on so tight. It was honestly impressive, considering the kid’s arms were practically noodles. Once he was recovered from his surprise, Tommy chuckled quietly, hugging Ranboo back.</p><p>“I’ll take that as a yes, then.”</p><p>“Thank you thank you <em>thank you</em>,” Ranboo repeated, practically vibrating with happiness. “It’s <em>perfect</em>, Tommy.”</p><p>Tommy cracked a grin, letting go of the kid to ruffle his hair. “Glad you think so, Ran.” He slung an arm over Ranboo’s shoulder, keeping him close. “And now for the most important bit!”</p><p>Ranboo gave him a confused look. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Well, we gotta name her, o’ course! No self respecting pirate sails a nameless ship, Ran. You have to know that.”</p><p>“Okay,” the kid said, staring up at the ship. “You name it. You’re good with names.”</p><p><em>Well then,</em> Tommy thought. <em>What’s the perfect name for her?</em></p><p>A moment of inspiration, and Tommy had it.</p><p>“Clementine,” he declared. “Her name is <em>Clementine</em>.”</p><p>Ranboo let his head fall onto Tommy’s shoulder. Together, they watched the last of the burnt gold fade from <em>Clementine</em>’s sails. </p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>And so began one of the greatest years of Tommy’s life. </p><p>They hung out at the docks for a few more days, waiting for the enchantment book to be duplicated. Tommy spent the time reading his way through the stack of borrowed books, trying to absorb the information while they waited. In the end, the process for the enchant books wasn’t cheap, and they were getting antsy to sail. But once the books were put to use, it was well worth it. </p><p>Tommy crafted and enchanted Ranboo a set of soft leather armor, easily flexible and light-weight. It almost felt like a waste to use the enchants on leather, but the idea of Ranboo having to wear his diamond armor day in and day out sounded unappealing to both of them. Tommy established the rule that Ranboo could only remove the armor while in the cabin, with the exception of the helmet (as long as the seas were calm). Ranboo readily agreed, delighted by the way the light caught the shimmering armor.</p><p>With that all sorted and supplies stocked, the rope tying <em>Clementine</em> to the dock was undone, and the “pirates” began their life on the sea.</p><p>They floated about aimlessly for the first few months, drifting from port to port, island to island, simply enjoying the sea and the sunshine. Ranboo quickly established the crow’s nest as his favorite spot on the ship, relaxing up there with Birdthany for hours, writing in his journal, dozing in the sun while Birdthany shouted profanities nearby at the gulls. Sometimes, when the winds were calm and it was safe to let <em>Clementine</em> drift, Tommy would join him, watching the glittering cobalt waves pass by.</p><p>It was paradise. Ranboo was in heaven, and Tommy was moving all the time, focused on tying ropes and steering the ship, securing the sails. There wasn’t a single second to be stuck in his own head, and Tommy reveled in it.</p><p>The kid was put in charge of food, which was fine by Ranboo, who continued to insult Tommy’s cooking despite the fact that it was what they’d both been eating for nearly two years. Tommy took each comment as a personal attack, threatening to make Ranboo walk the plank (they didn’t have one). Ranboo just laughed at him and hid on the other side of the deck.</p><p>As time went on, the duo decided they’d had enough of peaceful sailing and started to take the idea of being pirates even more to heart. The next time they docked, Tommy and Ranboo hunted down a map-maker, trading some of Tommy’s last few diamonds for a map of nearby shipwrecks. And so began their search for treasure.</p><p>They came up with a system. Ranboo would man the ship and Birdthany would play lookout as Tommy dove overboard, using his leg as a weight to pull him down onto the wreck. Tommy would empty the chests, taking as much as he could hold, and Ranboo would pull him back up with a rope. It was brilliant teamwork, and soon Tommy’s savings were easily replaced, plus more.</p><p>Their ship became known in those waters, the steadfast <em>Clementine</em>, manned by a mysterious crew with a foul mouth (that rumor was curtesy of Birdthany, who outshone even Tommy in the swearing department), constantly on the search for treasure. As the months crawled by, the tales began to include their success.</p><p>As fun as the treasure hunting and the wild rumors were, the attention had its downsides. For one, bitches who thought it would be a good idea to try to steal from them tried to steal from them. Needless to say, Tommy’s netherite sword got plenty of practice, and Ranboo was a professional at hitting people over the head with heavy objects.</p><p>They got into trouble a lot.</p><p>Fights on the street, landing in the wrong port where there were <em>actual</em> pirates, Tommy reverting back to pick pocketing and teaching Ranboo how to sneak things without being caught.</p><p>
 ”I thought you said no crime?” Ranboo asked when Tommy tried to teach him slight of hand.
</p><p>
 “I fucking lied, Ran. ‘M responsible 95% of the time, that’s good enough. Plus, crime is fun.”
</p><p>
 Ranboo, who would do anything to learn more from and be more like Tommy, happily agreed to learn.
</p><p>
 (The kid was really good at it, too.)
</p><p>They even got arrested once. </p><p>That was a fun one.</p><p>The cell they were put in smelled a little funny, and it was <em>jail</em>, so Tommy felt no hesitance in making his opinion about the whole situation known.</p><p>“You’ve got the wrong man, you bastards! My name is Captain Tommy Caution Danger Kraken Innit and I am fucking innocent!”</p><p>Ranboo leaned in close. “Is that really your full name?” the kid whispered.</p><p>“Yes,” Tommy whispered back.</p><p>“Huh.”</p><p>A moment of silence.</p><p>Ranboo leaned back in. “Didn’t you punch that guy though?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“…So how are you innocent?”</p><p>“Shut up, Ran.”</p><p>“M’kay.”</p><p>Tommy went back to banging on the bars of their cell, delighting in the annoyed look on the guard’s face. No one gave him any attention, the pricks. </p><p>That night, the guard dozed off at his post, slouching against the wall. He let out a particularly large snore, and a half-asleep Ranboo jolted at the sound. There was a quiet <em>pop</em> followed by fizzling, and Tommy sat up groggily, confused by the lack of a warm kid at his side.</p><p>Ranboo blinked back at him from the other side of the bars.</p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>“Fuck yeah,” Tommy whispered.</p><p>On the way out, Tommy snatched a Wanted poster of him and one of Ranboo. He was <em>so</em> starting a collection.</p><p>Summer faded, and the water grew cooler with the fall. The wind was sharper against their faces, but still so refreshing. They kept it up- the sailing, the adventuring, the general chaos.</p><p>If you were to ask Tommy what the word home meant, he wouldn't hesitate to answer with the cabin of <em>Clementine</em> and the kid curled into his side, Birdthany outside cursing up a storm as the waves rocked them to sleep.</p><p>Ranboo was up in the crows nest when a particularly rough one blew in, drenching the deck with water. Tommy grit his teeth, yanking on the wheel to keep the ship steady. A worryingly close bolt of lightning speared into the water. Ranboo yelped, and in a spray of purple particles appeared sprawling on the deck.</p><p>Tommy abandoned the wheel for a moment, rushing over to help the kid up.</p><p>“You alright?” he shouted over the wind.</p><p>“Yeah! Just scared me a little, I’m fine!”</p><p>“Ran, I want you to take Birdthany an’ go in the cabin! ‘M gonna head for shore!”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, scrambling over the slippery deck and into the cabin, glad to be out of the rain and wind. Tommy returned to his post at the wheel, cranking on it. He swiped at the sopping hair in his face, trying to see between the overgrown blond mess. He really needed a haircut. </p><p>The ship lurched over the waves, ropes snapping in the wind. Tommy did his best to keep them on course, scowling.</p><p>They hadn’t planned to reach land for a few more days, and for good reason. If Tommy’s bearings were correct, which they were (he was the ‘uman GPS, after all), making landfall was the absolute last thing he wanted to do. The closest nation was the fucking SMP. Tommy would give anything, even his other leg, to not need to dock right now, but the weather wasn’t going to give him a choice. </p><p><em>It’s the only way to keep everyone safe,</em> his mind supplied, grip tightening on the wheel. The thought was true, but still. Mother Nature was a bitch, and he refused to be happy about it.</p><p>Pissed at the bad luck, but knowing it to be the only real decision, Tommy exhaustingly guided the ship over the waves and through the wind and rain, making out for shore. </p><p>Hours later, a battered <em>Clementine</em> limped into the docks of a small port town, one located only a little ways away from the capital city of the nation and the L’Manbergian border.  </p><p>For the first time in just under three years, TommyInnit was back in the SMP.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank god <em>that's</em> over. This chapter was literally impossible to write because I could not figure out what to even put in here to connect last chapter to the next and yet it's the longest chapter so far (Literally how)</p><p>Anyways... Y'all better buckle your god damn seat belts and get ready because the filler is done and it's PLOT TIME BABY</p><p>(I'm so excited)</p><p>PS did you catch the fun Tales reference in there? I know the City of Mizu is like waaaayyyy in the future in actual canon timeline but I'm god in this written universe and if I say random character cameo, you get random character cameo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Y'all are gonna hate me for this one.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I dedicate this chapter to Satsumasknife, because they gave me the glorious ideas for the pirate hat and the ship chapters ago, both of which solved major plot holes that I needed to fix to get us to this point. </p><p>(It's also because I'm a horribly mean person and I think it's really funny.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy woke up in bed, bleary-eyed and sore. His head felt all foggy, and a groan escaped his lips as he stretched.</p><p>
  <em>Huh. Could’ve sworn I didn’t make it into the cabin after-</em>
</p><p>The fog cleared as Tommy shot upright. <em>…after the storm.</em></p><p>Shit. They were still in the SMP. How the hell had he gotten to bed? He remembered anchoring the boat, and then leaning against the railing for a moment to rest, and-</p><p>“Oh- you’re up!”</p><p>Ranboo came in, the pinched look on his face melting away at the sight of Tommy awake. He bounced over and messed with Tommy’s awful bedhead, giggling a little at the sight of it. Tommy half-heartedly swatted at him. “I found you asleep in the rain after we got to shore, and dragged you into bed. You were all wet.” Ranboo gave Tommy a disapproving look, setting his hands on his hips, gaze full of worry. “Why didn’t you come inside?”</p><p>Tommy rolled his eyes, reaching for his prosthetic, which the kid had remembered to remove before putting him to bed. For someone with such a spotty long-term memory, Ranboo never seemed to forget the little things like that. “I didn’t fucking mean to sleep outside, Ran. I was jus’ exhausted. That storm was an absolute bitch to deal with.”</p><p>Ranboo hummed, plopping down onto the bed and leaning against Tommy’s side as he worked to strap on his leg. Once finished, Tommy wrapped an arm around the kid’s shoulders, giving him a a quick hug in silent thanks before standing. He pulled off his shirt, which was slightly stiff from the dried rain and salt water, and swapped it for a clean one. He noticed his jacket hanging to dry on the back of a chair and threw that on too. </p><p>Still a bit damp. Ew.</p><p>But for the sake of style, for the <em>brand</em>, sacrifices must be made. </p><p>The kid followed him back out onto the ship’s deck, and Tommy let out a low whistle at the sight of her. The ship hadn’t been in pristine condition by any means, but after last night <em>Clementine</em> was looking a little worse for wear. Ropes were hopelessly entangled, some boards loose, lamps missing or smashed.</p><p>“Yikes,” Tommy said, summing it up.</p><p>“Yeah… I don’t think Clem’s doing too well. I checked for other damages while you were out. There’s nothing major wrong or anything, but I don’t know if we should sail right away.”</p><p>Tommy’s heart sank. The kid was right. <em>Clementine</em> needed repairs, that much was obvious. His skin itched with irritation and nerves, part of him screaming to get out of here as soon as possible. He tried to stamp it down.</p><p>Tommy gave Ranboo a proud pat on the back. “Nice work, First Mate Boo.”</p><p>Ranboo grinned. The kid had started the whole official titles thing as a joke, and then Tommy had accidentally picked up on it. Now it joined the growing list of nicknames he cycled through. Ranboo gave him a mock solute. “No problem, Captain Innit!”</p><p>Tommy surveyed the damage. They’d need glass, more iron, nails, that sort of thing. There were some materials on the ship for basic repairs, but not enough to cover everything. He sighed, the reality of the situation sitting heavy in his gut. They’d have to go into town. That, or try to maneuver the boat to an empty shoreline to gather the supplies themselves, which would only prolong their stay in the SMP. Definitely not ideal. Reluctantly, Tommy decided on best of the worst.</p><p>“Ran, go grab your cloak.”</p><p>Ranboo looked surprised. “The blue one?” Tommy nodded, unfocused as he made plans in his head.</p><p>“Why? I haven’t worn that one in a while. It’s too small.”</p><p>It was true. Ranboo, much to Tommy’s annoyance, was still getting taller. He was almost up to Tommy’s nose now. The kid was <em>twelve</em>. The fuck was up with that?</p><p>Tommy sighed, running a hand through his hair, suddenly possessed by nervous energy. “I know, little man. But it’s the only one that’s got a hood on it.”</p><p>The kid’s face scrunched up in confusion. “Why does that matter?”</p><p>Tommy turned to him, looking more serious than he had in a long time. “Kid, do you know where we are?”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head slowly, already having caught on to the change in Tommy’s demeanor and growing wary.</p><p>“We’re in the SMP.”</p><p>Ranboo’s eyes grew impossibly wide. The kid still had a limited knowledge of Tommy’s past; he knew about the exile and Dream’s manipulation, the fact that Tommy had been exiled from a country called L’Manberg and that it had separated from another nation called the SMP back when Tommy had been there. Ranboo also knew about Tubbo, but only by name because of the compass around Tommy’s neck. Tommy didn’t really like talking about it, which Ranboo understood, and therefore didn’t push. But the kid knew enough to know that being back in the SMP was something that Tommy really, <em>really</em> did not want.</p><p>“Oh crap,” he whispered, looking at Tommy, who was all tense. “Are you-“</p><p>Tommy waved him off. “I’m fine, Ran. But we need to fix Clem an’ that means going into town. Which is why you gotta wear the hood. The people here, well…” Tommy cringed. “Let’s just say they’re not as- uh, <em>kind</em> to hybrids as other places we’ve been.”</p><p>Memories of when Techno had first joined the server replayed in his mind. People muttering at the sight of the piglin, avoiding him not just because of his reputation. How Phil, in the few times Tommy had seen him around, kept his wings tucked away whenever he left L’Manberg. Or Tubbo, always careful to keep his small horns buried beneath fluffy brown hair. Nothing bad had ever really happened, but then again, none of them were as- well… <em>obvious</em> as Ranboo. </p><p>He looked at the kid. The clawed hands, the pointy ears, mismatched eyes and height. Not to mention the extra pointy canines that showed when Ranboo gave that goofy smile of his. Not quite fangs, but close enough. Tommy had never batted an eye about any of it, taking every eccentricity in stride, adoring all of it.</p><p>But the bitchass bastards of the SMP would not be so forgiving if they were to draw too much attention to themselves.</p><p>Understanding flashed in Ranboo’s eyes, his expression darkening for a second. After all, there was a time before Tommy was around. The kid had his own backstory to deal with. Ranboo nodded, darting off to go get the familiar blue cloak without another word. </p><p>Tommy ran a hand down his face, already feeling exhausted despite having just woken up. This was gonna fucking suck.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>Ranboo stuck close to Tommy’s side as they navigated through the surprisingly crowded streets of the town, hood tugged low over his head. Tommy was on high alert, put off by the abnormally high number of guards milling about. Sure, they were decently close to the capital, but this was shit was just overkill.</p><p>As they passed yet another group of them, his hands itched for his sword, carefully tucked away in the end chest back in <em>Clementine</em>’s cabin. The weapon made him feel safer, more prepared, but would’ve drawn far too much attention.  Besides, he still had his throwing knives. They wouldn’t be super effective in a crowd like this, but Tommy could still shank a bitch in close quarters if needed. </p><p>He didn’t even know why he was so paranoid. Sure, Ranboo and him had the slightest bit of a reputation, but that was out on the seas, not here.</p><p>So why the hell was he still so nervous?</p><p><em>Because you’re in <strong>his</strong> territory now,</em> his mind unhelpfully supplied. <em>He’s going to find you again. He’s going to find you and take you back there. He’ll take you back there and you’ll be alone-</em></p><p><em>Shut the fuck up,</em> he told it. </p><p>Ranboo had picked up on Tommy’s anxiety, and it was affecting the kid too, making him all jittery. Tommy had tried to calm the paranoia down in order to soothe him, watching as Ranboo jumped at a particularly loud shout nearby, inching even closer. </p><p>“You okay?”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, eyes flickering nervously around the crowd. He had drawn a few wary looks from passerby, but no one had given them any serious trouble. <em>Yet.</em> “It’s just… a lot.”</p><p>Tommy offered a hand in understanding, which Ranboo gratefully took. He gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Just one more stop, ‘kay? We just gotta head to the blacksmith, then we can book it out of this god damn shithole an’ never look back.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded, still on edge.</p><p>They ducked around a few carts, weaving between stalls and bickering venders. The clanging of metal got louder, the crowd thinning a little as they approached the forge. Tommy let some of the tension bleed from his shoulders, feeling better already without the total crush of people on all sides.</p><p>The blacksmith looked up at him as they approached, setting down a dented iron breastplate. “What can I do for you today?”</p><p>“I need nails, and some spare iron ingots, if you’ve got them.”</p><p>She nodded, disappearing into the back of the forge for a moment. Ranboo let go of his hand, wandering a little ways away to curiously poke at some broken swords nearby, awaiting repair. Tommy kept an eye on him in his peripheral. </p><p>The blacksmith returned, setting down a few iron ingots and a bucket of nails. The woman struck up a conversation as she weighed out some of the nails. “Nice piece of hardware you’ve got there,” she said, nodding at his leg. </p><p>“Thanks,” Tommy said, puffing up a little with pride at the compliment. “I made it myself.”</p><p>The blacksmith’s eyebrow rose in surprise. “It seems well made. Impressive. I know from experience that netherite is hard to-“</p><p>There was a bit of yelling across the road and a door slammed. The conversation died for a moment as the two of them watched a guard drag two red-faced people apart, people giving them a wide berth despite the limited space between buildings on the crowded street.</p><p>”Not to be rude,” Tommy asked slowly, “But why is everyone so fuckin’ tense around here? Am I missing something?”</p><p>The blacksmith sighed, taking the nails off the scale and placing them in a small pouch. ”Well, it seems to be that they’re gearing up for another war. The SMP and that L’Manburg.” </p><p>Tommy’s brow furrowed. What?</p><p>
  <em>Another war? What the fuck has Tubbo gotten himself into now?</em>
</p><p>“Not to mention,” the woman continued. “I heard the Antarctic is tied up in it this time, too.”</p><p>That just made Tommy even more confused. <em>Why on earth would Phil and Techno be involved?</em></p><p>Just what has been going on?</p><p>He didn’t ask though, knowing she wouldn’t have the answers he was looking for. </p><p>Instead, Tommy nodded in the direction of a guard, who was talking with a nearby shopowner. “That why there’s so many of those bitches hangin’ around?”</p><p>The blacksmith hummed thoughtfully, handing him the pouch of nails. “I reckon so. The Admin must’ve called them in.”</p><p>Tommy nodded, only half listening as he gave her a few diamonds, taking the materials in return. She thanked him and moved away to store the money.</p><p><em>How much have I missed?</em> He wondered, circling thoughts of the life he had left behind taking over. <em>Is Tubbo even President anymore? He wouldn’t start another war for no reason. That was the whole point of him fucking exiling me in the first place-</em></p><p>Preoccupied, Tommy turned to get Ranboo and leave, all tense and anxious again. He accidentally bumped into the chest plate, sending it to the floor with a loud crash.</p><p>“Shit! Sorry-“ he bent down to pick it up, chuckling a little. “I swear, it’s like I lost an eye instead of my leg sometimes, right Ran?”</p><p>He set the chest plate back, looking over at Ranboo, expecting to see the kid laughing at him, always ready to jump on the opportunity to tease Tommy.</p><p>...There was no one there.</p><p>He glanced around, maybe hoping to see the faded blue hood poking out of the crowd nearby.</p><p>“Ran?” He called, tentatively, worry already clawing at his chest. The sound was swallowed by the busyness of the street. He spun in a slow circle, searching, but still no sign of the kid. Tommy glanced down at the ground, and his stomach fell through his feet. </p><p>Purple particles fizzled against cobbled stones.</p><p>Oh <em>fuck.</em></p><p>His head shot up, starting the search anew with a new sense of urgency.</p><p>Oh god-</p><p>
  <em>Not right now not right now not with all these people-</em>
</p><p>Tommy plunged into the crowd, scanning, trying to figure out where Ranboo had ended up.</p><p>Ranboo was harmless. He was a ray of sunshine and the sweetest, most sincere person you could ever meet. But these people wouldn’t care about that. They’d see someone with the abilities and the looks of a mob and people would freak out.</p><p>
  <em>People would freak the fuck out.</em>
</p><p>“Come on come on come on- kid where <em>are you</em>-“ He muttered under his breath, panicking and cursing himself for not thinking about the possibility of this happening and planning ahead for it.</p><p>Another shout echoed across the street.</p><p>“-take you to the castle, in accordance to the laws of this nation. It’s not up for debate!”</p><p>Tommy’s ears caught the barked order, and he craned his neck in the direction that it came from, praying that it had nothing to do with a certain child of his.</p><p>No such luck.</p><p>A group of guards were clustered around Ranboo on the other side of the crowd, two of them holding onto the kid’s arms. The hood had fallen down, and even from across the street Ranboo’s panic was obvious. His eyes rapidly flicked back and forth, trying to tug his trembling limbs away from the guards’ grip.</p><p>
  <em>Shit.</em>
</p><p>Instantly, Tommy began to fight his way through the throng of people, trying to go against the flow of traffic and being pushed back. He strained to hear what was being said as he elbowed and shoved his way through.</p><p>“-accident I swear!”</p><p>“Due to the restrictions placed on the End by the Admin-“</p><p>People were beginning to stop due to the commotion, drawn in by the unusual sight, and the crowd grew thicker around Tommy. He shoved people mercilessly, desperate to get through.</p><p>
  <em>I need to get to him I need to get to him I need-</em>
</p><p>“Just let me explain-“</p><p>“I’m sorry, but protocol says-“</p><p>There was a ripple through the crowd, people parting as the guards moved down the street toward the edge of town. They were moving further from where Tommy was, taking a furiously struggling Ranboo with them.</p><p>“Stop, no- please! I didn’t-“</p><p>
  <em>Need to-</em>
</p><p>“The Administrator has to decide what to do. Please stop resisting!”</p><p>Tommy could see Ranboo stretch to look at the crowd, could see the fear in his eyes as the kid searched. Tommy moved faster.</p><p>
  <em>GET TO HIM-</em>
</p><p>“Ran!” He shouted, tripping over the uneven stones, bodies pressing in on all sides. “Ran!”</p><p>Ranboo’s gaze snapped to him, eyes widening. He began to struggle harder. “Tommy! Wait- no-“</p><p>Two guards dropped back, trying to hold the curious and confused crowd at bay, pushing the flow of people back as the rest of the guards reached their horses. Tommy kept fighting, close to reaching the edge of the crowd, ignoring the angry shouts as he pushed through. Someone knocked him back, and he shot them a venomous glare over his shoulder, never stopping for a second.</p><p>“Get the FUCK out of my way, you bastards!” he yelled, squeezing between two men.</p><p>“TOMMY!”</p><p>His attention snapped back up to the group of guards, to where Ranboo was being loaded onto a horse. The kid’s arm was extended, reaching towards him. Tommy mirrored the gesture, finally breaking free of the crush of bodies and stumbling forward.</p><p>One of the remaining guards blocked his way with a trident, and he growled, trying to push it down without looking away. “<em>Move you fucking</em>- RANBOO!” </p><p>Tommy was roughly shoved back, stumbling into the crowd behind. Someone caught him, their grip on his shoulders holding him in place. The head guard spurred his horse, and everyone watched as the group began to move. Ranboo twisted desperately, held in place by the arm of guard behind him as they rode away.  <em>Tommy couldn’t do anything- couldn’t get to his knives, there wasn’t time-</em></p><p>“DAD!”</p><p>Tommy tore away from the stranger’s grip, lunging at the guard and grappling for the trident. He tore it out of the guard’s hands, swinging it into their gut and sprinting past as the guard doubled over.</p><p>“RANBOO!”</p><p>Tommy ran with everything he had, tripping and stumbling over the cobbled road, cursing under his breath as he went. It didn’t matter. The horses drew further and further away, disappearing into the trees.</p><p>
  <em>No. No-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t- it-</em>
</p><p>Tommy faltered, his uneven pace slowing until he stood frozen in the middle of the road, gasping for breath. He stared at the gap in the trees, waiting for- for <em>something</em>. For the guards to reappear.  For Ranboo to come back.</p><p>For his kid to come back.</p><p>This couldn’t be happening. </p><p>
  <em>Ranboo was gone.</em>
</p><p>Those fucking pricks took him. They <em>took</em> him.</p><p>Tommy didn’t know how long he stood on that road, eyes glazed over, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. He didn’t move, hardly breathed. <em>Ranboo was gone.</em> </p><p>Someone set a gentle hand on his shoulder.</p><p>He startled and spun, coming to face a concerned young woman. Her gaze was filled with pity. He hated pity. He hated-</p><p>“Are you alright?” She asked carefully.</p><p>Tommy blinked at her for a moment, head still swimming. His face quickly morphed into a scowl. “Don’t <em>fuckin’</em> touch me,” he snarled, shouldering past her and marching his way back into town, back to his ship.</p><p>Tommy ignored the stares he got, the wide space he was given and the whispers that followed him. </p><p>He didn’t fucking care. These people didn’t matter. Only one person fucking mattered and they were gone.</p><p>
  <em>Ranboo was gone.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>—————————</p><p> </p><p>That night, Tommy sat alone on the bed in the cabin of the boat, staring at the wall. His eyes were unfocused, elbows balanced on his knees, hands clenched tightly between them. His cheeks were wet. Tommy didn’t care.</p><p>Birdthany was up in the crows nest. She had been up there when Tommy came stumbling back onto the ship, obediently following Ranboo’s order to stay until he got back. Tommy couldn’t get her to come down. She was still waiting.</p><p>Tommy was wracking his muddled brain for any sort of clue of how to find Ranboo, any sort of idea as to where they would have taken him.</p><p>One of the guards had said something about a castle, he was sure of it. But which one? There wasn’t a singular castle in the SMP due to the wide variety of builds, and the guards had had on a mix of uniforms for some odd reason, as if they had been gathered from different regions of the country. </p><p>Tommy unclasped his hands, reaching up to tug harshly at his hair instead.</p><p>The guards had been wearing a mix of uniforms.</p><p>Why was that?</p><p>His mind flashed back to the conversation with the blacksmith.</p><p>
  <em>”Well, it seems to be that they’re gearing up for another war. The SMP and that L’Manburg.” </em>
</p><p>
  <em> “That why there’s so many of those bitches hangin’ around?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“I reckon so. The Admin must’ve called them in.”</em>
</p><p>The memory screeched to a halt. The grief-filled fog in Tommy’s brain receded for a moment. </p><p>Wait.</p><p>“Admin”.</p><p>
  <em>“The Administrator has to decide what to do. Please stop resisting!”</em>
</p><p>Tommy unsteadily shot to his feet.</p><p>The Admin. Dream.</p><p>
  <em>Dream.</em>
</p><p>Of fucking <em>course</em> this was Dream’s fault. </p><p>Tommy let out a slightly crazed laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Bastard can’t leave me alone, not even after three years,” he muttered, yanking at the overgrown blond strands as he paced. He was definitely making Ranboo cut it when he got the kid back. </p><p>Because he would get him back. He <em>would</em>.</p><p>If this whole mess was something the “Admin” was to be involved in, then Tommy where he needed to go. The castle in central SMP, near L’Manberg. </p><p>His gaze drifted over to the enderchest tucked in the corner of the cabin. </p><p>After a moment’s hesitation, Tommy strode over to it, prying open the lid and staring at the contents.</p><p>Slowly, he reached in and pulled out his netherite sword, weighing it in his hand. If things went wrong, he’d be facing Dream on his own, risking the newfound freedom of the past few years. Risking his new home, his safety, his <em>last life.</em> Not to mention the possibility of running into the others- Tubbo. Techno. Phil. Every person who was meant to be a friend or family, but had decided that Tommy wasn’t worth it. Tommy would probably have to face them all. </p><p>Was that a price he was willing to pay?</p><p>The sound of Ranboo’s terrified, desperate scream echoed in his ears, ringing around inside his skull. Tommy’s gaze hardened, grip tightening around the hilt. If facing the others, facing <em>Dream</em>- meant he never had to hear that sound again, he’d do it.</p><p>
  <em>He’d do anything.</em>
</p><p>Steely-eyed, Tommy strapped the sword onto his back.</p><p>Dream and the others wanted to fight over whatever stupid excuse they’d found this time?</p><p>Fine. </p><p>He’d give them a fucking fight.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've had half of this chapter written for over a month, like way back in like chapter four. I've been waiting so long. So long.</p><p> I know this is a quick turnaround after the last one but I have no patience, so I finished it as soon as I could. Sadly, I have the ACT on Tuesday (help me), so y'all are gonna have to wait like a week for the next one. Sorry not sorry lol</p><p>Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go get some ice ready before my freakishly tall new bestie gets here and kicks the crap out of me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fight scene, part I.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So uh... this is at 2000 kudos now. I simply <em>do not</em> know how to process that. Literally what the hell, like what. HUh? Thank you guys so much-</p><p>IT'S TIME FOR SOME ALTERNATE POVS BOYSSSSS GET EXCITED</p><p>Also fight scenes. I'm not sure if I actually know how to write those. I just made stuff up. Nice *thumbs up*</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Footsteps echoed in the empty stone halls of the castle. Guards sanctioned along the walls straightened, fixing their posture as their superior walked by. The Head Guard payed them no attention, too lost in his own thoughts about the meeting he had just left and the war looming on the horizon.</p><p>Sapnap sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and rounding another corner. This whole thing was a damn mess.</p><p>Sure, he felt bad about what happened to Tommy. Most people did. Maybe the kid was a nuisance sometimes, and he didn’t see anything wrong with Tubbo’s decision to exile the kid, but…</p><p>No one deserved to die alone like that. Much less, well… you know. Much less like <em>that</em>.</p><p>He sighed again, freeing one of his hands to tug at the ties of his bandana. It was all just really confusing, and that was without including how <em>off</em> Dream’s behavior had gotten ever since Tommy’s disappearance. It wasn’t a sudden change, but the closer the days crept toward the expiration date of Tubbo’s threat, the harder time Sapnap had recognizing his friend. </p><p>It was whatever.</p><p>He passed a hallway and slowed, the sounds of arguing echoing out of it. Backtracking, Sap peered in, brows raised at the sight of a group of city guards agitatedly waving their hands around and muttering to each other. This seemed interesting.</p><p>“There a problem here, boys?” He called, sauntering down the hall. Their heads snapped up, and they all guiltily jumped to attention, giving him a stiff salute. “What’s going on?”</p><p>“Nothing sir-“</p><p>“Just a slight disagreement, sir, no real issue-“</p><p>Someone scoffed quietly.</p><p>The guards stiffened, one of them shooting an irritated glare over his shoulder. </p><p>Sapnap motioned the two guards in front of him out of the way, revealing another two holding the arms of some hybrid kid, who glared at him. His brows furrowed. “Why the hell do you guys have a child?”</p><p>“…Well,” one of them started nervously, “We found him teleporting in one of the villages yesterday at the edge of the Capital, sir. And you know that, uhm-“</p><p>“And you know,” another picked up. “That there’s a restriction place in this area by the Admin on using hybrid powers, as well as the End, you see, sir. So we uh…” an awkward cough. “We brought him here.”</p><p>Sapnap gave them a deadpan look. “So you’re telling me you kidnapped a child.”</p><p>The guards traded glances. “Yes…?”</p><p>“Idiots,” the kid muttered, yanking a bit on his arms, trying halfheartedly to free them. </p><p>“Okayyyy…” Sap said, trying to figure out what the heck he was supposed to do with this situation. “And once you took the kid, what was your plan?”</p><p>“Take him to see the Admin, sir.”</p><p>“Well,” Sapnap drawled, irritated at the complete lack of common sense. <em>Honestly, do this guys even think?</em> “Considering you know that there’s nearly a war going on, and that Dream’s been extremely busy-“ The kid’s gaze snapped to him at the word “Dream”, suddenly looking incredibly angry for some reason. “There’s no way he can deal with this right now.”</p><p>He rubbed at his forehead, trying to figure out what to do. He had a meeting to get back to, one that he really should’ve returned to like five minutes ago, actually. </p><p>“You guys could just let me go, you know,” the kid piped up, giving the guards holding him the stinkeye. “Maybe if you hadn’t dragged me here-“</p><p>“Quiet,” one of them snapped. The kid flinched, letting his mouth fall shut. </p><p>Sapnap sighed. “Alright, here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to give me the kid,” he stepped forward, taking hold of an arm. “I’ll find some place to put him until Dream can sort this out. Now can you go find something actually productive to do, please?”</p><p>The guards nodded sheepishly, relinquishing their grip on the kid and practically fleeing down the hall. “Fucking idiots,” Sapnap muttered, resisting the minor urge to scream. “Okay kid, let’s find somewhere to put you.”</p><p>They started off, the kid reluctantly following along.</p><p>“So,” Sapnap started, trying to clear the awkward silence. “First time getting arrested?”</p><p>“Uhm… no, actually.”</p><p>
  <em>…What?</em>
</p><p>He glanced at the kid out of the corner of his eye. Yeah, that monochrome face was completely serious. Dear god.</p><p>“Can I ask what for?”</p><p>The kid shrugged, the movement pulling at the wrist in Sap’s hand. “My dad punched a guy.” There was a private sort of smile on his face at the memory, and Sapnap couldn’t help but worry about what kind of person was raising this kid.</p><p>“That’s nice,” he said faintly.</p><p>“Mmhm. My dad is the best.”</p><p>Sapnap lead them down a lonely hallway, one he knew consisted of mostly empty rooms. The kind that staff just threw random furniture in when they didn’t know what to do with it, left to collect dust. Maybe not the ideal place to stash a child, but he was late and it was better than throwing the kid into actual jail. (He hoped.)</p><p>He pulled out a ring of keys and opened one of the doors, glancing in. Not too dark, a couple of chairs. Good enough. He gently pushed the kid inside. “Alright. You stay in here, I’ll get Dream to sort this out eventually. There’s kind of a whole damn war for me to worry about right now, so sorry I can’t deal with this at the moment. You’ll be fine, right?”</p><p>The kid shrugged, tugging his blue cloak tighter around himself and plopping down in a corner of the room. “It’s fine, I guess. My dad’ll come get me soon anyways, so don’t worry too much about it.”</p><p>“Uh, kid,” Sap said slowly. “I hate to break it to you, but there’s no way your dad is gonna be able to come get you without permission. It’s pretty damn hard to sneak in here. I’m in charge of security, I would know.”</p><p>“Yeah right,” the kid looked up at him, unwavering faith in his eyes. “He’ll be in here in no time. You’ll see. Just you wait, he’s gonna-“</p><p>“No, seriously kid,” Sapnap interrupted. He didn’t have time for this, but he also didn’t want to deal with a heartbroken child a day from now when this mysterious, violent father of his never showed. “There’s literally no way.”</p><p>Those green and red eyes stayed locked on him, the look in them never once changing. He sighed. Nothing he said was going to make a difference.</p><p>It was almost familiar, in a way. Maybe Tommy was just on his brain, but Sapnap couldn’t help but think about seeing that stubborn loyalty in a set of fiercely blue eyes, way back at the start of L’Manburg. </p><p>Unshakable loyalty and trust.</p><p>Tommy had lost that look long before he went missing.</p><p>“Yeah, whatever you say kid,” he muttered, closing the door and locking it behind him.</p><p>He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started off down the hallway to the council chambers.</p><p>He’d let Dream deal with that later.</p><p>Right now, there was a war to worry about.</p><p> </p><p>——————</p><p> </p><p>Tommy crouched outside the exterior walls of the main SMP castle, hiding behind an old stack of barrels. He tugged the hood of a brand new cloak further down over his forehead, trying to hide as much of his face as possible. He knew he looked a little different now, what with age and his long hair ’n all, but still. Not a risk he was willing to take. </p><p>He held his breath as two guards passed by, carefully shifting into position to make a dash for it once they were out of sight. Watching the guards to check their rotation had taken far longer than he would’ve liked and it was irritating. Even though he had stolen a horse and the cloak as fast as he could, Ranboo had still been with those guards since yesterday afternoon.</p><p>When the crunch of boots on gravel had faded, Tommy sprung up from his hiding place, dashing from shadow to shadow, creeping along walls. He made it through the courtyard, ducking into a bush for a brief second as a staff member scurried past, their head down. </p><p>He followed the person, darting behind pillars and trying to muffle the sounds of his footsteps the best he could. The staff opened a wooden side door and entered the castle, Tommy carefully slipping in behind them. </p><p>His face broke out in an almost feral grin. With an apparent war on the way, this was too fuckin’ easy. </p><p>Once inside, he broke away from the staff halls, creeping down echoing, empty stone corridors. He knew exactly where he was heading. </p><p>The ugly, formal council chambers. Used only for important things, like starting wars, which is apparently what Tubbo and the others were up to these days. If he had to make a bet on where Dream would be, it would probably be there, manipulating other people and just generally acting like a dickhead.</p><p>He dipped around another corner at the sight of armor, but not fast enough.</p><p>“Hey!” the guard shouted, coming toward him. “Show yourself!”</p><p>Tommy cursed under his breath, listening as the footsteps got closer. </p><p>“I said, show yourself!”</p><p>Just as they rounded the corner, Tommy jumped them, wrapping an arm around their throat. The guard sputtered, choking, and Tommy murmured his <em>very sincere</em> condolences as they began to go limp. <em>Stay out of my way next time, asshole,</em> he thought, dragging them over to a window alcove and stuffing them inside, hopefully out of view.</p><p>Tommy kept going, knocking out a guard here and there, mind never wavering from his goal. Maybe his footsteps slowed a bit as he reached the wide corridor that held the double doors of the chambers, but he didn’t stop. Not with Ranboo on the line. </p><p>There were two guards outside.</p><p>Drawing his sword ever so gently, Tommy suddenly melted out of the shadows, taking them by surprise. Before the first one could even make a sound, he had whacked them over the head with the hilt, and the guard crumpled to the floor. The second one drew their own sword and charged, but Tommy simply ducked, swinging a punch into their stomach as they passed. The guard faltered, and Tommy twisted the sword from their grip, putting them in a chokehold.</p><p>Moments later, the oaken doors to the council chambers stood unguarded. </p><p>Tommy stuck his sword back into the sheath on his back, adjusting the cloak to show as little of his diamond armor and his prosthetic as possible. If Dream and the others were really inside, he didn’t want to play any of his cards until he had to. His last life and Ranboo’s safety depended on it. </p><p>He set a hand on the door, preparing to open it, and paused. Tommy pulled his hand away, hesitating.</p><p>
  <em>He’s on the other side of that door. They all are. Are you really willing to-</em>
</p><p>The worry about Ranboo overpowered the doubt.</p><p>
  <em>Yes, I am.</em>
</p><p>Tommy took a step away from the door, considering it. If he was gonna crash this party, might as well make an entrance, right?</p><p>Grinning, he pulled the hood as far down as it could go. Then Tommy pulled back his left leg, and with everything he had, kicked the door open.</p><p> </p><p>———————</p><p> </p><p>Phil rubbed at his temples, trying to block out the heated bickering going on at the table of the council. He let out an exasperated sigh.</p><p>Today was the expiration date of Tubbo’s ultimatum. Tomorrow, they would be at war.</p><p>And for a group of leaders meant to be discussing the declaration of a multi-national conflict, everyone here was acting like children.</p><p>“It’s your fault, Dream!” Quackity shouted, waving his hands about. “You’re the one who made Tubbo exile him!”</p><p>“<em>I</em> didn’t make Tubbo do anything,” Dream countered, leaning back in his chair. “It’s not my fault he decided to betray his best friend. Tubbo was brilliant enough to do that all on his own.”</p><p>“Oh you fucking-“</p><p>Quackity’s insult was cut short by a loud bang. They all turned to see the heavy oaken doors of the meeting room slam open, revealing a cloaked figure standing in the doorway. Phil watched as they scanned the room, hunching ever so slightly as they took stock of everyone there.</p><p>“‘Ello dickheads,” the person sang, straightening back out. “Fancy seeing you here, eh?” Their voice wavered on the first bit, growing more confident as they continued to speak. A cheeky grin was peeking out from underneath the hood.</p><p>The shock wore off, and Dream stood from his seat, glowering at the intruder. “Who the hell are you and how did you get in here?”</p><p>Phil watched warily as the figure tensed, freezing for a millisecond before forcing themselves to relax again. The person crossed their arms, leaning back against the doorframe. Phil’s sharp eye caught a brief glimmer of netherite and a flash of diamond armor before the cloak settled again. The glimpse only put him more on edge.</p><p>“None of your fucking business, <em>bitch</em>. That’s who.”</p><p>Someone stifled a snort, and Dream bristled. The green bastard opened his mouth to retaliate, but Techno stepped in first, eager to get back to business.</p><p>“Why are you here? If you haven’t noticed,” Techno lazily waved a hand around the room. “We’re kinda in the middle of a meetin’.” </p><p>The following eyeroll was so strong that Phil could literally feel it, even if the figure’s face was still buried under their hood.</p><p>“<em>Duh</em>,” they drawled. “That’s kinda the fuckin’ point, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Then what the hell do you want, mate?” Phil broke in. “And I would make it quick, because I’m sure the idiot in green over there has already called the guards on you.”</p><p>The person’s hands twitched. <em>Itching to grab a weapon</em>, Phil supposed, ignoring the urge to do the same. The cocky smirk melted into a sneer, something dark lurking underneath it. <em>Something dangerous.</em> Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Techno’s hand slowly drift down to the sword sheathed at his waist.</p><p>The figure turned his attention away from Phil, glaring at Dream instead. “What I want,” they said slowly. “Is for this fuckin’ prick to give me my goddamn kid back.”</p><p>Some of the tension in the room dissipated for a moment as confusion took its place. Everyone traded clueless glances, trying to figure out if anyone else knew what the person was talking about. Phil’s gaze landed on Sapnap, whose mouth had fallen open in what appeared to be astonishment. Dream didn’t seem as outwardly shocked, but the slight shifting of his stance showed at least mild surprise.</p><p>“Sorry to say,” Dream said, “But I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”</p><p>A scoff. “Well judging by Sappy’s face over there, you’re fucking lying. Not surprised though. You love lying, don’t you Dream?”</p><p>Phil’s brows furrowed. <em>What the hell were they talking about?</em></p><p>The figure didn’t give him time to think on it, suddenly pushing away from the wall and reaching behind him. Seconds later, a gleaming netherite sword appeared, pointing unwaveringly at Dream. “You’re going to tell me where he is,” they spat. “Or I’m going to shank your ass right here and right now.”</p><p>Techno stood, pulling out his sword in response, pointing it at the person. They resolutely ignored Tech, gaze zeroed in on Dream and Dream alone. “Drop it,” Techno ordered. As much as Phil knew Techno would love to see his rival’s ass beat before the war even began, his friend’s sense of honor would never allow it. The order was ignored.</p><p>“Alright, I’ve had enough of this,” Dream declared. “I don’t know why you thought that interrupting a vital meeting involving the fate of some poor dead child,” Tubbo shot Dream a venomous glare, but Fundy’s hand held him in his seat. “With your own irrelevant problems was a good choice-“</p><p>“Uh, Dream-“ Sapnap tried to cut in, setting a hand on the Admin’s shoulder, only to be shrugged off.</p><p>“But I’ve had enough of your stupid bullshit for today. GUARDS!”</p><p>“Oh you <em>fucker</em>,” the person snarled, grip tightening on their sword. </p><p>Phil leapt out of his chair right as they lunged.</p><p>The room burst into yells, chairs clattering to the floor as people pushed away from the table. Phil drew his own sword, debating whether or not to step in. Dream was their enemy, and Phil would happily let this random person do the dirty work for him, but the war hadn’t started yet, and the Empire was fond of its principles and technicalities. Technically, this room was neutral ground until someone declared war.</p><p>The person hopped onto the table with a strange metallic thud, dodging Techno’s attempt to grab their cloak. Phil stepped in, expertly blocking their path down the table with a swift slash of his sword. To his surprise, the person parried it almost offhandedly and just kept running. Phil paused, surprised. </p><p>
  <em>What just happened?</em>
</p><p>Sapnap had also drawn his weapon, stepping in front of Dream, ever dutiful to his post. Dream still hadn’t even drawn his axe, watching the approaching fury with acute and calculating interest. With a yell, the figure leapt off the table, raining blows left and right, trying to get to Dream. Sapnap seemed to be struggling to keep up with the ever-moving blur of fabric and glint of diamond and netherite. </p><p>“Where is he?!” they yelled over the clashing of swords. “What the fuck did you do to him, you bastard!”</p><p>Techno followed down the table, leaping down after the intruder and waiting for a moment to step in. Focused on Sapnap, the fighter didn’t quite notice Techno’s careful swing, aimed at his leg. Phil winced in sympathy, sword going loose in his grip, waiting for the cry of pain and the end of the fight.</p><p>Instead, there was a loud clash of metal, and Techno’s sword stopped. Tech halted in surprise. Taking advantage of the hesitation, the person pushed Sapnap back, locking blades for a second before whirling around and striking at Techno. They knocked his sword down, delivering a swift elbow to the face that left Techno staggering back. </p><p>Okay, time to step in.</p><p>Phil ran into the chaos, slotting himself infront of Techno and raising his own sword in the nick of time to block another swing. </p><p>The person huffed in frustration, and Phil heard a muttered “Great, now the fuckin’ old man is involved-“. <em>Rude</em>. He returned the attack, which the person repeatedly deflected.</p><p>“Back off you dick!” They suddenly yelled in frustration. “This isn’t your fucking problem!”</p><p>They turned away for a second to deflect another blow from Sapnap, kicking the man back. </p><p>“Well you’ve made it my problem, mate!” Phil retaliated, taking another swing which was blocked not the opponent’s sword, but a kick of their left foot. <em>What the-</em></p><p>The doors at the end of the room burst open, four guards rushing into the room. The fighting paused for a split second, before the person cursed and pulled away from Phil and Sapnap. They fled to the other side of the room where the L’Manbergian party was standing, watching the fight unfold and unsure what to do.</p><p>Tubbo ushered Fundy and Quackity back, dodging the running person, who flicked them off as he passed. By the bewildered looks on their faces, the three had absolutely no idea what to make of the gesture.</p><p>Dream gestured in their direction, and the guards took the hint, brandishing their weapons and continuing the fight. Sapnap had run off sometime after the guards’ entrance, probably to get reinforcements or something. Phil watched Dream, disturbed by the waves of amusement that were rolling off the masked man. The intruder seemed to have been looking for someone, and while Phil didn’t condone <em>attacking</em> them over it, his instincts definitely didn’t agree with the way Dream seemed to be reacting to the situation.</p><p>There was a piece missing here, but Phil didn’t know what. He hated not knowing.</p><p>He pulled himself back to the moment, letting the guards deal with the person to check on Techno, who was holding his nose and glaring in the direction of the cloaked fighter. “You good, Tech?”</p><p>“Fine,” Techno muttered. “Dude has an unnecessarily pointy elbow. Got me in the nose.”</p><p>Phil winced in sympathy. “Yep. That’ll get you.”</p><p>There was a clanging sound, and Phil turned to see one of the guards drop to the floor, unconscious. Another was nursing a bleeding arm. “Should we step in?” he asked.</p><p>“Nah,” Techno replied, wiping the blood from his nose onto his sleeve, grimacing at the stain. “Let Dream deal with it. I only stepped in to try to cut it short, but it appears this guy isn’t giving up anytime soon.”</p><p>There were more sounds of ringing metal, and another guard wound up on the floor. </p><p>The person seemed to be tiring though, unable to fight off multiple people for this long without getting a little sloppy. One of the guards landed a blow to their shoulder, and a sharp cry echoed through the room. The second remaining guard stepped in, knocking the netherite sword from their grip in the moment of distracted pain. Both guards quickly dropped their weapons and seized the fighter’s arms.</p><p>The room quieted, aside from the scuffling as the person struggled, cursing loudly.</p><p>Dream sauntered his way over, hands casually thrown in his hoodie pockets. The closer he got, the more the person stilled, limbs growing taut with tension. Phil subtly gestured for Techno to follow, and they approached the scene, Phil keeping a careful eye on Dream. The L’Manberg party followed, drawn in by the same curiousity.</p><p>Dream paused to pick up the netherite sword, running his hand down the blade. “Nice sword you’ve got there,” his tone dripped with fake cheeriness. “Mind if I keep it?”</p><p>“<em>Fuck you,</em>” the fighter spat.</p><p>“Thank you!” Dream gasped, sliding the weapon into his belt. “That’s such a thoughtful gift! You’re too kind, really.” He prowled closer and the struggling picked up again. Dream reached under the hood and seized the person by their chin, holding their head still.</p><p>Techno let out a low warning rumble beside Phil.  Even if they didn’t know who this person was, Dream couldn’t be allowed to go unchecked. The masked man waved a dismissive hand over his shoulder. “Don’t get all <em>pissy</em>, Technblade. I’m just curious as to who our little guest is. You are too, don’t act like you aren’t.”</p><p>Reluctantly, Phil couldn’t help but agree.</p><p>With a sharp motion, Dream yanked down the hood of the person’s cloak.</p><p>Underneath was a young man. Far younger than Phil had expected, probably only in his early twenties or late teens. Wavy blond hair reached past his chin, part of it pulled back in a small ponytail. His skin was tanned, a spray of freckles dotting his nose and cheeks from long periods of time spent in the sun. The most remarkable feature was the young man’s eyes, an electric blue that burned with hatred as they glared into Dream’s mask.</p><p>They almost looked like-</p><p><em>No,</em> Phil thought. <em>Stop tricking yourself. He’s gone.</em></p><p>The more Phil looked, the younger they seemed. Definitely still a teenager.</p><p>Dream burst out in a scathing laugh. “Look Techno, Phil- you’ve been fighting a damn <em>child</em>.” His grip tightened on the teen’s chin, fingers digging in. Phil watched as the kid’s breathing began to pick up.</p><p>“<em>Dream</em>,” Techno warned.</p><p>Dream scoffed, roughly letting go. “Fine. You’re still pathetic,” he hissed in the teen’s face. </p><p>“<em>Fuck you</em>,” he shot back. “Where is he?”</p><p>“God,” Dream groaned. “You are so <em>annoying</em>. I don’t know what-“</p><p>The statement was interrupted by the kid spitting in the masked man’s face. Phil choked down a laugh.</p><p>Dream stalked forward again. “<em>You insolent little</em>-“</p><p>Suddenly, the teen kicked forward with a flash of purple, hitting Dream in the gut. The man doubled over, and the rest of them had hardly any time to react as he wrenched his arms free of the guards’ grip, pushing them away and backing up a few steps. The young man paused, looking for all the world like a caged animal and yet unwilling to give up the fight. </p><p><em>What he’s going to accomplish without a weapon, I have no idea, </em> Phil mused.</p><p>“Someone better give me answers <em>right fuckin’ now</em> or I swear to god-“</p><p>“Kid, what are you going to do? You don’t even have a weapon.“ Techno interrupted, voicing Phil’s thoughts.</p><p>Dream stood back up, hand pressed against his stomach. His anger was almost tangible. “<em>Apprehend him</em>” he snarled.</p><p>The guards started forward again. The teen backtracked even further, reaching down toward his left leg, still hidden by the cloak. Phil felt uneasy. There was something they were missing-</p><p>There was a muffled click, and with a flurry of motion the kid let something fly. Two deadly purple blurs sliced through the air, one striking a guard in the chest, the other hitting one in the throat. The whole room froze as they fell to the ground, red pooling onto stone before both bodies disappeared in a puff of white smoke.</p><p>Phil dragged his eyes away from the blood, staring at the kid, who had another netherite dagger in his hand, ready to let fly any second.</p><p>“I’m gonna ask this one last time,” he said in a low tone, voice heavy with fury. </p><p>“Where the <em>fuck</em> is my kid, Dream?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oooh Tommy pop off my friend, ooh yuh get it I guess</p><p>(I'm sorry this I just wrote all of this today in like 4 hours I am in a mood™ right now)</p><p>Anywho enjoy another cliff hanger I have a movie for US history to watch now, bye bye</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Mans is runnin'</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am tired. Junior year sucks ass. </p><p>Have a chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Keys jangled in Sapnap’s hand as he skidded around another corner. The slapping of his shoes against stone accompanied heavy breathing, having been already winded from the fight before sprinting down the halls like a madman. In all honesty, he was just glad to get the hell out of there. That cloaked dramatic bitch hit <em>hard</em>.</p><p>He really hoped Quackity was alright. They might technically be on opposite sides of a war at the moment, but Karl would kick his ass if Sap showed up at home with a beat-up fiancé in tow. His arms already hurt from deflecting the blows of that dumbass a few moments ago. The last thing he needed right now was a lecture and a slap upside the head.</p><p>Sapnap took another sharp turn, nearly crashing into the wall in his haste. A guard stationed nearby jumped in surprise and opened their mouth to ask what was wrong, but he was already out of range of the startled shout. God, his legs burned. Why did those empty rooms have to be so damn far away?</p><p>Even with the anxiety and urgency pulsing in his veins, Sap couldn’t help but laugh a little to himself. That little shit had really been right all along. The kid had looked so adamant about his dad coming to get him, and no wonder. With fighting skills like that, of course there wouldn’t have been a single trace of doubt about being able to successfully break into the castle. His body ached just thinking about it, ears still ringing from the furious clash of swords and yells.</p><p>Yeah… the best option here was definitely to just grab the kid, shove him at his dad and send them on their merry way- all as fast as humanly possible. It was the safest for everyone.</p><p>And if he was honest, that plan was the only actual option. There was no way that fighter guy was going to stop trying to kill everyone long enough for Sap to sit him down and calmly explain everything. Hell, even Dream hadn’t been willing to listen to him. </p><p>Hopefully once the kid was within that bitch’s sights, things would deescalate. Hopefully.</p><p>
  <em>Not really sure what I’m gonna do if they don’t.</em>
</p><p>Up ahead, he spotted a familiar door and let out a sigh of relief. Screeching to a halt, he fumbled with the keys as he scrambled to find the right one.</p><p>No… Not that one… Nope. Not that one either- Jesus, why the hell were there so many?!</p><p>Finally, he located the right one and jammed it in the lock, twisting it with frantic urgency. Sap yanked the door open, stumbling inside. He propped his hands on his knees, gasping as he tried to catch his breath. </p><p>“So- funny story!” he wheezed, coughing a bit. “Your dad actually- <em>oh god this sucks</em>- he actually <em>did</em> come. Wild right? And he’s literally kicking our asses right now so, I need you to come with me-“ </p><p>Actually able to breathe like a normal person again, Sapnap straightened, turning to face the corner where the kid had been hunkered down when he left earlier.</p><p>Empty.</p><p>
  <em>...That’s not good.</em>
</p><p>“Kid?” he called nervously, stepping further into the room.</p><p>No response. (Not that he really expected the kid to talk to him, but still-)</p><p>He glanced around, forehead furrowing in confusion at the empty room that loomed before him. No black and white child hiding behind the door, under the dusty chairs, or literally <em>anywhere</em>. </p><p>Sapnap drew in a sharp breath with the realization.</p><p>The trigger-happy lunatic’s kid was gone.</p><p>Oh <em>shit</em>-</p><p> </p><p>—————————<br/>
<em>A little while ago…</em><br/>
—————————</p><p> </p><p>Ranboo drew the edges of the blue cloak closer to himself, shivering in the empty room and trying to draw comfort from the familiar fabric. It wasn’t really all that cold in here, but there was a funny chill in his bones and he hated it. This stupid anxiety was getting to him. It hadn’t been this bad in years, not since Tommy-</p><p>A quiet gasp escaped him on accident, arms tightening around himself. </p><p>He wanted Tommy back. This place sucked and he wanted Tommy.</p><p><em>No,</em> he scolded himself. <em>You can take care of yourself. Tommy’s taught you how to fight, how to be strong and patient. Just wait it out.</em></p><p>
  <em>You’re fine.</em>
</p><p>Ranboo let his gaze drift around the room. Pretty much empty, just some old chairs and a dusty rug piled in one corner. Obviously this place wasn’t actually intended to hold prisoners. It was a dusty storage room that the one guy with the headband decided was good enough to leave him in. Ranboo’s eyes narrowed just thinking about it, residual anger from the encounter still thrumming under his skin despite the hours between then and now. </p><p>
  <em>”Uh, kid… I hate to break it to you, but there’s no way your dad is gonna be able to come get you without permission.”</em>
</p><p>Uh huh, sure mister “I’m so cool I think I know everything ‘cause I work at this castle”. Stupid.</p><p><em>“No, seriously kid.”</em> </p><p>Ranboo rolled his eyes to himself, huffing. That headband guard guy had no idea what he was talking about.</p><p>Maybe if this whole mess had happened a few years ago, Ranboo would’ve believed that dude. Would’ve worried just a bit more that maybe Tommy <em>wasn’t</em> coming, didn’t actually want him back. Let the doubt about his powers and insecurities about the fact that he rambled a lot and had memory problems creep in and extinguish that hope. </p><p>But this was TommyInnit. His Tommy. <em>Dad.</em> There was no way Tommy wouldn’t try to get him back. Literally no way.</p><p>Little silvers of memory bubbled up, and Ranboo couldn’t help but smile at the though of them.</p><p>Tommy, completely and recklessly decking that one guy who had called him a “filthy mob” as they were leaving an inn, refusing to apologize even as they were getting arrested. Tommy, lying beside him as <em>Clementine</em> gently rocked on the waves, an arm protectively around Ranboo’s shoulders even when deep asleep. Tommy, frantically shoving people to the ground, screaming his name as those stupid guards dragged him away.</p><p>Not gonna come for him, his <em>ass</em>. </p><p>Tommy was the most protective, stubborn idiot Ranboo had ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was probably already on his way, insults and sword at the ready. Ranboo just had to wait. That’s all. </p><p>He just had to wait.</p><p>It wouldn’t be that hard.</p><p>…</p><p>That was a lie. Waiting sucks. </p><p>It was really boring in here. And lonely. And dusty.</p><p>He sneezed.</p><p>
  <em>This sucks.</em>
</p><p>Ranboo huffed, burrowing even further into the comfort of the cloak. He wanted Birdthany. Or his memory journal. Both of with were most likely still on the ship, and therefore of no use to him now. His gaze drifted to the ceiling, and with a complete lack of anything better to do, began mindlessly counting bricks. </p><p>He was just mumbling “…86” when there was a noise outside the door, and his concentration broke. Ranboo pushed himself further into the corner, warily watching the handle, waiting for it to turn. If it was that dumb head band guy, he was <em>so</em> gonna grab that chair and hit him with it.</p><p>Someone came through the door.</p><p>Ranboo yelped in shock, eyes wide. Someone had just come <em>through</em> the door. As in, without opening it. What the heck?</p><p>The person in question startled at the sound, spinning to face him in surprise. </p><p>“Oh- hello!” they said, fiddling with the sleeves of their yellow sweater and giving him a small smile. “I’ve never seen you before. Are you new here?”</p><p>He just stared at the dude. Ranboo could see through him. Like, he was literally transparent. And grey. What the <em>heck</em>. There was this weird floating see-though grey guy talking to him, and he had no idea what to say. What do you say to floaty, transparent strangers?</p><p>“Ooh,” the ghost (Was he a ghost? Ghosts were transparent and floaty, right?) leaned closer. “You have really cool eyes! Do you wear contacts? I like blue better than green and red, but those are nice colors too. Do you happen know someone named Purpled? He has purple ones-“</p><p>“S-sorry, I uh… I don’t? But thank you?”</p><p>Ghost nodded, plopping down on the ground next to him. Well, on the ground was a bit of a stretch. The guy seemed to still be floating a couple inches above it, even while sitting. Ranboo resisted the urge to scoot away. The ghost seemed nice enough, but he didn’t know the concept of personal space apparently. </p><p>“You’re welcome! Say, what are you doing in here anyways? No one ever comes in here, except me, of course.” Ghost dude squinted at him, seemingly trying to figure out what could possibly bring someone to sit in a dusty corner of a room by themselves. The guy let out a small gasp. “Oh no- are you upset too? This is a good room for hiding, I have to agree. That’s why I’m here- wait! Let me get you some blue-“</p><p>The ghost rifled around in his pockets, pulling out something that looked like blue dye. Ranboo eyed it skeptically as it dripped between grey fingers and onto the floor. How that had been in the dude’s pockets without making a colossal mess was beyond Ranboo. Ghost (that was his name now, Ranboo had decided) offered it to him.</p><p>“Uhm, no thank you,” Ranboo said, trying to be polite and not show how weirded out he was right now. “I’m not upset- well, I am, but that’s not related to why I’m here. Some guards put me in here after literally <em>kidnapping</em> me. I can’t leave.”</p><p>“Oh dear, that doesn’t sound nice at all.”</p><p>Ranboo slumped against the wall, hugging himself again. “It’s not. It’s really not.”</p><p>Ghost reached out and gave him a kindly pat on the arm. He left a bright blue handprint on the cloak, and Ranboo suppressed a sigh. “Thanks… Thanks, uhm-” he looked over at the guy. “What’s your name?”</p><p>Ghost’s face lit up. “Oh! I’m Ghostbur!”</p><p>Ranboo scrunched up his face. “Your name has ghost in it already? That doesn’t make sense.”</p><p>“Well, people used to call me Wilbur, back when I was alive. But that’s Alivebur’s name, not mine. That’s why people call me Ghostbur. ‘Cause I’m ghost!”</p><p>“Huh.” Ranboo let this sink in for a bit. It was all a little bit confusing, but whatever. “So no one calls you Wilbur anymore? How do they not mess up?”</p><p>The smile that had been on Ghostbur's face since he had entered the room wilted, his eyes unfocusing for a moment. “There was one– he still called me ‘Wil’ all the time, and I didn’t correct him because he alway used so much blue when we were on tour… And acting like I wasn’t a different version of Wilbur made him feel better, I think. But he’s- he doesn’t call me that anymore.” Ghostbur’s voice got small at the end, the ghost hugging himself for comfort.</p><p>Something about the name “Wil” scratched at a part of Ranboo’s memory, but he couldn’t recall what it was. He hated the feeling, like there was something important he was forgetting. <em>If only I had my book with me-</em></p><p>He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of sniffling. Ranboo cautiously glanced at Ghostbur. The dude was crying. Oh no.</p><p>
  <em>Oh boy. I am too bad at comforting for this-</em>
</p><p>“I’m sorry about, uh- that. That sounds like it sucks?” He cringed. Tommy would <em>so</em> be laughing at him right now, the Idiot. “Uhm, does sharing more help?” Ranboo flinched a little as the ghost focused back on him, electric blue tears rolling down his cheeks. This was not working.</p><p>“He- he was my brother. And annoying. But I loved him and-“ A quiet hiccup, followed by a shake of the head. “Actually, I- I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t like sad memories.”</p><p>
  <em>Yikes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Change of subject time.</em>
</p><p>“Soooo, you know why I’m in here. Why are <em>you</em> in here?”</p><p>Ghostbur sniffed, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his sweater. “They’re all fighting again. I hate that. It makes me upset.”</p><p>Ranboo nodded in agreement, despite having literally <em>no clue</em> who “they” even were.</p><p>He hummed. “You can stay in here with me, if you want? My dad’s coming to get me soon, but I don’t really mind if you stay.”</p><p>It was true. The guy was a little weird and very, very emotional for some reason, but talking to Ghostbur was better than counting bricks until Tommy showed up. (Which would be soon, of course.)</p><p>Ghostbur smiled at him. “Thank you- what’s your name?”</p><p>“Ranboo.”</p><p>“Thank you Ranboo, that’s very nice of you.”</p><p>They sat in silence for a while, Ranboo lost in thought, trying to calculate how long it would take for Tommy to come. It had only been about a day in this room, but that was still terribly long. He was tired and cold, and wanted to go home.</p><p>Ghostbur’s quiet humming beside him stopped, and he braced himself for more questions.</p><p>“Ranboo, how long until your dad comes to get you, again?”</p><p>Ranboo shrugged, fidgeting with a worn corner of the cloak. “It’s gonna take a while, I think. Don’t tell anyone, but he has to break in first. That might take a bit.”</p><p>Ghostbur looked surprised by that. “Break in? This is the SMP capital! How is some old dude supposed to break in?”</p><p>“My dad isn’t old! He’s 19!”</p><p>Ghostbur gave him a funny look. “Then how old are you? You’ve got to be nearly a baby then-“</p><p>“I’m twelve!” Ranboo shot back indignantly. “It doesn’t matter. He’ll get in just fine. I know it.”</p><p>“Techno always complains that this place is super protected-“</p><p>“Yeah, well, you don’t know Tommy like I do,” he said, crossing his arms, full of confidence. “The great Captain Innit is unstoppable, sorry to break it to you.” </p><p>Ghostbur didn’t reply. Ranboo glanced over at him, confused at the sudden silence. He froze. Somehow, the ghost had gotten even paler, if that was even possible. Ghostbur stared at him. </p><p>“Uhm…Ghostbur?”</p><p>“What did you just say?” the ghost whispered, voice all trembly again.</p><p>Ranboo was worried now.</p><p>
  <em>Did I make him upset? He did say that he hated fighting, maybe I shouldn’t have yelled-</em>
</p><p>“Uh… sorry?”</p><p>Ghostbur shook his head rapidly. The ghost lurched forward, grabbing onto his shoulders. Ranboo flinched and tried to move away, hating how intensely the guy was looking at him. The grip tightened.</p><p>“Did you say-“ Ghostbur’s voice cracked. “D-did you say Tommy? As in Tommy Innit?”</p><p>Ranboo blinked at him. “Uhm, yes? That’s my dad.”</p><p>Ghostbur quickly pulled away, shocked. Ghostbur flickered a bit, hands covering his mouth as the blue tears made a reappearance. “He’s- he’s alive?”</p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>“Last I checked, yeah,” he said slowly. “Why? Do you know him?”</p><p>Ghostbur wasn’t listening anymore. He had gotten to his feet and was pacing around the room, murmuring to himself. It sounded like he was just muttering “Tommy’s alive- he’s alive-” over and over again. Ranboo awkwardly cleared his throat. Ghostbur didn’t pay him any attention, just kept running blue-stained hands through his messy hair and mumbling.</p><p>Ranboo tried again. “Ghostbur!”</p><p>The ghost snapped out of it, freezing in place.</p><p>“What the heck are you talking about? How do you know Tommy?”</p><p>Ghostbur shook his head, trying to speak properly, but only little hiccups and mumbled gibberish came out.</p><p>Okay, this wasn’t going to work. <em>Think, Ranboo. Think.</em></p><p>Something was itching at the back of his brain. The same memory that had been bothering him before. He latched onto the sensation, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to drag the memory back from the brink. <em>Wil.</em> What was it about that name? What was he forgetting?</p><p>
  <em>Warm sun, dirt under his feet. The sea breeze, years ago. A wooden sword in his hand, a new friend across from him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Did your brother teach you how to fight?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Naw, family friend did. Wil was better with words than a sword.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Who’s Wil?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tommy sighed. “That’s my brother. He was annoying, just like you.”</em>
</p><p>Ranboo’s eyes snapped open with a gasp. <em><strong>“That’s my brother.”</strong></em></p><p>Wait wait wait wait-</p><p>
  <em>“He- he was my brother. And annoying. But I loved him and-“</em>
</p><p>Holy <em>crap-</em></p><p>Ranboo jumped to his feet, startling the ghost. He pointed a finger at Ghostbur, shouting, “You’re Tommy’s brother! The one who was bad with a sword!”</p><p>Ghostbur paused in his frantic motions. “What?”</p><p>He took a steadying breath, trying to hold it all together. “Tommy said he had a brother who was good with words but not a sword. That’s you, isn’t it?”</p><p>“Yes…? I think so…” Ghostbur replied, nodding dumbly. The guy was still out of it.</p><p>Ranboo fell back against the wall, stunned. <em>Holy crap. Holy crap. He was with Tommy’s <strong>brother</strong></em>. Dead brother. Ranboo frowned. He would have to make Tommy talk about that when they got back home. He glanced at Ghostbur, cringing. <em>Hopefully that’s not a new development.</em></p><p>But if Wil was here, maybe there was also that Tubbo person from Tommy’s compass. Maybe they could help him escape and get back to Tommy sooner, so Tommy wouldn’t have to risk coming to the capital after all!</p><p>Another thought struck him, and Ranboo’s stomach filled with ice. If Tommy’s brother and Tubbo were here, then- then Dream probably was too. Especially considering the SMP was Dream’s own kingdom. And Tommy was going to end up plunging into that mess head first, with no back up, just to save him. He had to get out of here. If not out of the castle, then at least this room.</p><p>“Ghostbur,” Ranboo rushed out, pushing away from the wall and darting over to him. “Can you help me out of here? I’ll bring you to see Tommy and you can talk and everything, but he really needs us right now.”</p><p>Ghostbur blinked at him for a second, the glassy haze clearing from his eyes. “I think I can… just ah- give me a minute.”</p><p>The ghost floated through door again, disappearing for a few minutes. Ranboo waited impatiently, the excitement of the last few minutes humming under his skin and making him fidgety.</p><p>There was a rattling sound as Ghostbur did something to the lock. With a final click, the door swung open, revealing Ghostbur on the other side, grinning. He proudly held up a little iron rod of some kind. “I did it!”</p><p>Ranboo smiled at him for a brief moment. “Good job. Now,” the smile dropped, a surge of protectiveness raging under his skin. “Where can we find Dream?”</p><p>Ghostbur pointed down one of the long stone halls.</p><p>Without a second to think, Ranboo took off running, the ghost following close behind.</p><p><em>Don’t worry Tommy,</em> he thought as he flew down corridors.</p><p>
  <em>I’m coming.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Me, resolving the cliffhanger from last chapter? Nope. Me, reuniting the boys? Still nope. Lol. Have fun with this</p><p>This week and next is tech week for the school musical and I am exhausted by life, god save my soul. The next chapter is probs gonna be a bit, sorry to say. I would just like a nap but the world and my addiction to escapism said no. I think that's just rude. </p><p>Fun fact- we've only got like 2-3 more chapters left of this bad boy. Wild, I know. ALSO! I MUST ASK- Would y'all like Tommy to properly resolve things with Phil and Tubs or chew the literal fuck out of them and leave with Ranboo instead? I am open to either, just wanna hear some thoughts.</p><p>Love you all &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fight Scene, Part II</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*Kronk voice* Oh yeah, it's all coming together-</p><p>So I said it was gonna be like a week. Fun fact: I lied. </p><p>I felt a little bit bad for leaving you guys to suffer not one but <em>two</em> cliffhangers for the entirety of this week. That's mean, even for me. And so, I decided to speedrun the actual fuck out of this chapter, completely flew through it. It's a good one, you're all gonna go absolutely nuts, I can already tell.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy clenched his jaw, heartbeat thundering in his ears. The sound was incredibly loud in the silence following his demand, keeping right in time with his ragged breathing. Blood slid down his back from the wound on his shoulder, uncomfortably warm and cold at the same time. </p><p>He could still feel Dream’s fingers digging into his skin. </p><p>“Well?” he asked through gritted teeth when no one responded. “You gonna give me an answer or not?”</p><p>Phil cleared his throat awkwardly, stepping forward with his hands up in what was meant to be a placating gesture. Tommy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Big man Phil, never one to interfere when he should and always budging in when he shouldn’t.</p><p>“Let’s put down the knife, mate,” Phil soothed, taking another step closer. “No need for any of that.”</p><p>Tommy scoffed, only tightening his grip. “For some reason I don’t think I believe you. Funny, innit?”</p><p>“Can we just kill him already?” Dream complained, fingers twitching at his sides. “We have business to get back to. A war to start, unless you’ve all forgotten.”</p><p>“Shut up,” Techno and Tubbo snapped at the same time. <em>Never thought I would see them agreeing on something,</em> Tommy thought, slightly amused. <em>Lot’s changed, hasn’t it?</em></p><p>“Mate, just put away the knife and we can figure this out-“</p><p>“There’s nothing to <em>figure out</em>, Philza,” Tommy waved his arm wildly, hissing a little when it pulled on his shoulder.  “This bitch ‘ere stole my fuckin’ kid and I want him back. Done. Simple. No need for discussion.”</p><p>Phil looked surprised at the use of his name, the gesture of peace falling. “What do you mean, stole your kid?”</p><p>Tommy wanted to fucking scream. He didn’t have time for this. He had to get to Ranboo and get out of here. He didn’t have time for Phil’s stupid inquiries and peaceful “figuring things out”. What he needed was to stab Dream, get his answers, and run. He glanced around the room, inwardly sighing at the sight of so many familiar gazes on him. Attacking Dream right now wouldn’t do shit, too many ways for the others to interfere. The only option seemed to be trying to talk circles around them until someone let it slip where Ranboo was.</p><p>“Guards kidnapped him an’ took him here on orders of the Admin. What else do you want me to say?” he said shortly, taking the opportunity to reach down and rip off a part of his cloak, torn by Techno’s sword. He pulled the cloak to the side, letting out a grunt as he pressed the cloth to his wound, sloppily wrapping it. “It’s kinda self-explanatory.” </p><p>“Believe it or not,” Dream drawled, “But I actually don’t have a single fucking clue what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“Of course you don’t. You wouldn’t, you never would you dickhead-“</p><p>“Alright,” Phil cut in. “Enough. Do you have any idea where your son could’ve ended up?”</p><p>Tommy’s breath caught for a split second. <em>Your son</em>. “Obviously not, dumbass,” he choked out. “Why else do you think I’m in here with you load of pricks, huh?” He eyed a side door behind the table, on the other end of the room from the main entrance. <em>Maybe I should just kill them all now and make a break for it. Look for Ran myself. It would probably be faster than this shit anyways.</em></p><p>His death grip on the dagger loosened, preparing to throw it. Someone said something, but it was all just messy background noise now. Focused in on the door that led to escape, Tommy blocked the unneeded info out. There wasn’t room for anything else.</p><p>Phil took another step forward, and Tommy sprung into action.</p><p>The knife buried itself into the chair next to Phil, who cried out in surprise and stumbled back, leaving the path to Dream clear. Tommy sprinted forward, already within reach of Dream before the Admin even realized what was happening. Tommy smashed the heel of his hand into Dream’s mask, reaching down to the belt at the man’s waist at the same time. He danced away from Dream, dodging an enraged attempt to grab onto him and taking his sword with him. </p><p>Then Tommy fucking booked it.</p><p>He sprinted to the doors, feet pounding in time with his heart, ignoring the twinge in his shoulder for the sake of getting the rescue back on track. He reached the doors, pushing through them without a second thought.</p><p>
  <em>I’ll check the jail cells first, an’ then if Ran’s not there maybe I can find one of those guards I hit-</em>
</p><p>Tommy smacked head-first into something, pulled out of his rapid-fire planning as he crashed to the ground, sword clattering to the floor beside him. <em>What the fuck-</em></p><p>The something groaned, meaning it was a <em>someone</em>, not a something. Great. Just great. </p><p>Aching, Tommy scrambled to his feet, clutching at his shoulder. He spent down to pick up his sword, fumbling with it for a second before whirling around to face- </p><p>Sapnap. That was Sapnap, groaning on the floor and clutching the back of his head, gasping like he was out of breath. </p><p>
  <em>Dramatic, much?</em>
</p><p>Sapnap clumsily sat back up, still holding his head. He blinked at Tommy, eyes going wide at the sight of him. “You-“</p><p>Tommy stuck the sword in his face. “What, bitchboy? You gonna fight me again?”</p><p>“No, I-“ Sapnap heaved a breath, inching away from the weapon. “I went to look but… he’s- there wasn’t-“</p><p>
  <em>What in god's name was he talking about?</em>
</p><p>“Spit it out, big man!”</p><p>“He’s gone!” Sapnap gasped, still trying to catch his breath.</p><p>Tommy froze, sword pulling away from Sapnap’s face. <em>What?</em></p><p>Sap’s eyes met his. “I ran to go get the kid from the room I stuck him in, but he’s gone. I don’t know where he went. The room was empty.”</p><p> </p><p>——————</p><p> </p><p>Ghostbur and Ranboo stared down at the guards lying in a heap outside the main doors of the council chambers, both out cold.</p><p>“Well,” Ranboo said, breaking the concerned silence. “At least we know Tommy’s been here, right?”</p><p>Ghostbur floated closer, leaning forward to poke one of the guards in the forehead. He giggled as his finger phased right through, and the person didn’t even stir.</p><p>“Ghostbur,” Ranboo chided. “That’s not very nice.”</p><p>“Oh, I suppose.” Ghostbur floated over to the other one, blowing raspberries in their face. Still no reaction. The ghost laughed again. “But it’s very fun, isn’t it?”</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Ranboo carefully stepped over the bodies, approaching the doors. Ever since it had sunk in that his brother was in fact very much not dead, Ghostbur’s previous polite and solemn attitude had vanished in the wake of Ghostbur’s joy and relief. Now the ghost was acting more like a giddy child than an actual functioning adult, and it had only slowed them down. </p><p>Was it a little funny? Yes. </p><p>Was he going to take enough time to admit that? No way.</p><p>Ranboo pressed his ear to the door, trying to hear anything through the thick oak doors. There was a muffled sound of someone speaking- or was it yelling? He couldn’t tell. But there were definitely people inside. </p><p>“Hey, come here please.”</p><p>Ghostbur stopped bothering the guards and floated over. “What do you need, nephew?”</p><p>Ranboo stared at him, not sure how to respond to that.</p><p>A grey hand reached out and poked his nose. “Boop!”</p><p>He just kept staring.</p><p>
  <em>How on earth did Tommy turn out the way he did if this is what his family was like?</em>
</p><p>Ranboo suppressed the urge to sigh. “Uhm… can you poke your head through the door and see if we can sneak in? I wanna make sure we won’t get caught right away if Tommy’s not there.”</p><p>Ghostbur nodded happily, giving a little salute. “Aye aye Captain!” A second later, the ghost’s whole torso was already through the door, leaving Ranboo alone muttering “It’s First Mate, actually, but I guess.”</p><p>The legs left on his side of the door kicked around a bit, and he hoped that Ghostbur hadn’t gotten too distracted. The guards were proof that Tommy was in the castle, they had to be. And that meant Ranboo had to find him as soon as possible before they were both caught. </p><p>A few moments later Ghostur pulled himself back through the door, face less giddy than it had been before. Even more concerning, he was slightly more transparent than before, and a bit wispy too. “They’re all arguing again. I hate it when they do that.”</p><p>Ranboo patted Ghostbur’s shoulder sympathetically. “I’m sorry, Ghostbur.” He glanced at the door, a flicker of nervousness sparking through his nerves at the thought of what was on the other side. “Is it clear for us to go in?”</p><p>Ghostbur nodded, looking a little upset. “Dream was yelling at Phil, and Techno was yelling at Dream, and another door is open now, so they’re a bit distracted.” The ghost paused, thinking for a moment. He brightened up a bit. “And if we get caught, we can just turn invisible and float away! It’s perfect!”</p><p>Ranboo gave him a weak smile and decided not to point out the fact that no, <em>we</em> cannot go invisible, thank you very much. He pressed his hands against the door, the sound of claws clicking against wood a familiar, soothing sound. Deep breath in, deep breath out.</p><p>
  <em>You’re good at sneaking and crime. Tommy said so. You’ll be fine.</em>
</p><p>He turned his head to look at Ghostbur, who gave him a little nod in return. Slowly, Ranboo cracked the door open. He slipped inside, sparing a glance behind him to double-check that Ghostbur was still following. </p><p>The room in front of him was full of unfamiliar people. There was an older blond man with wings- <em>wings, how cool was that?!</em>- standing by a well-dressed and very intimidating piglin. Further away was a shorter guy with brown hair and little horns, who looked about Tommy’s age, or close to it. Horns was standing by a fox of some kind and another dude wearing a navy hat. Ranboo’s eyes skipped to the center of the room and his steps stuttered a little bit.</p><p>Lime green. There was a person in a lime green hoodie, their face obscured by a terrifying white mask. <em>Dream</em>. It had to be.</p><p>The fear fluttering in his chest battled with a sudden burning rage. There was the man who had hurt his dad. Who had taken away his home and his family. Dream was the reason why Tommy cried at night and his hands shook sometimes and why he couldn’t stand the sound of TNT. It was Dream’s fault. </p><p>Ranboo almost ran up to him and punched the guy right then and there. </p><p>But then Dream stepped back, pulling his finger out of the winged man’s face and the mask started to face him-</p><p>Ranboo scrambled behind an overturned chair, holding his breath, hand clamped over his mouth. Dream hadn’t seen him. He hadn’t. It was fine.</p><p>He glanced up to see Ghostbur floating above him, not even attempting to stay out of sight. He tried to call to him quietly, but the ghost wasn’t listening, and Ranboo was too afraid to be any louder. It was too late anyways. Someone had already spotted him.</p><p>“Phil, Ghostbur’s back.”</p><p>Some of the arguing stopped for a second as whoever “Phil” was took notice. </p><p>“Where’d you go off to? You’ve been missing for quite a while, mate.”</p><p>Ghostbur froze, a deer caught in the headlights. <em>Oh no.</em></p><p>“Well… I- I went to uhm…”</p><p>
  <em>Not good not good not good-</em>
</p><p>“I hid, and I was in this dusty room-“ As if to prove this, the ghost sneezed. “Excuse me. And it was boring and very dusty- you really should clean better here Dream- but then I made a new friend!” </p><p>Both Ranboo and Ghostbur’s eyes widened, and the ghost slapped a hand over his mouth, legs dissolving in his panic. “I- I mean-“</p><p>Ranboo glanced around, hoping to find some way to sneak out of here. Tommy wasn’t in here anyways and Ghostbur had just spilled everything and he really needed to get out, he really should’ve thought this out better-</p><p>Anxiety taking over, Ranboo didn’t notice the sound of boots treading across stone, coming closer to his hiding place. </p><p>
  <em>I could probably make it to that tapestry if I moved fast enough-</em>
</p><p>Someone grabbed his arm.</p><p>Ranboo screamed.</p><p>“Hey kid,” Dream purred. The man tilted his head, the mask grinning down at him. “You lost?”</p><p> </p><p>——————</p><p> </p><p>Tommy was still interrogating Sapnap when he heard it.</p><p>A scream. A familiar one, quickly followed by raised voices, all echoing out from the council chambers.</p><p>His heart sank right down to his boots. </p><p>
  <em>Jesus Christ Ran, please tell me you didn’t-</em>
</p><p>“Shit,” Sapnap muttered, taking off down the hall and disappearing through the still open door. Tommy readjusted his grip on the sword and plunged in after him.</p><p>The scene in front of his eyes broke his lungs. They weren’t taking in air right, something was definitely wrong. Why could he feel his heartbeat?</p><p>There across the room was Dream, the smug bastard. Pinned by his arm was a struggling Ranboo, the kid kicking uselessly at the man’s legs, claws pulling the hand holding him in place. Tommy couldn’t tear his eyes away.</p><p>
  <em>He’d had a nightmare like this, once. It had been set back in Logstedshire, in exile, but Ranboo had been there with him. The armor hadn’t been thrown in the pit fast enough. Tommy hadn’t moved fast enough.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Ranboo’s careful wiping of the tears on his cheeks had woken him up. </em>
</p><p>There was no waking up from this one.</p><p>Tommy moved further into the room, trying to stop the way his sword shook. He never took his eyes off the kid for a second.</p><p>Ranboo seemed to catch the movement, pausing in his struggle for a moment to evaluate who had just entered the room. The kid’s eyes locked with Tommy’s, widening at the sight of him. A strangled cry erupted from the kid, cut off by a tightening of Dream’s grip. </p><p>Tommy’s terror began to boil over into rage.</p><p>“<em>Let him go.</em>”</p><p>Dream’s gaze snapped over to him, attention finally pulled away from Phil and the rest of them. Tommy could feel his smile, had spent long enough around the fucker to know exactly how to read him, even with the mask. Dream chuckled, a grating, fake sound. “Well, look who’s back! Say, did you lose something?”</p><p>The hand not holding Ranboo in a death grip patted the kid sweetly on the head. Tommy resisted the urge to throw up.</p><p>He raised his sword, taking a few more steps forward. “Give him to me, now.”</p><p>Dream tilted his head and hummed. “You see, I <em>could</em> do that, but I don’t think I will.”</p><p>“You absolute fucking-“</p><p>“You see,” Dream continued, tone dropping into something sharp and dangerous. “I think getting rid of this <em>distraction</em> would make my life a whole lot easier.” In a flash, the man pulled his axe and held it to Ranboo’s throat. “<em>Don’t you agree?</em>”</p><p>Tommy’s heart stopped.</p><p>
  <em>Get that away from him get it away from him right now-</em>
</p><p>“Dream,” Tommy said, voice dangerously steady despite the sheer panic singing in his blood. “Let go of him right fuckin’ <em>now.</em>”</p><p>“No!” the masked man yelled, instantly on edge. “You just- <em>barge</em> in here like you own the place, interrupting this whole process! Stop acting so- so <em>entitled</em>. You have no power here. Quit acting like it!” The grip on Ranboo tightened, axe pressing closer to his throat, and Ranboo yelped as the cold blade touched his skin. </p><p>
  <em>Fuckin’-</em>
</p><p>Tommy saw red, jolting into motion, fully prepared to lunge at Dream. A hand on his shoulder held him back.</p><p>“Let the kid go, Dream,” Sapnap demanded, face stony. “You’re not going to gain anything from this.”</p><p>There was a hysterical laugh. “Not <em>gaining</em> anything? I’ve already lost! This fucker-“ Dream pulled his axe away from Ranboo’s throat to brandish it at Tommy instead, something that made him relax despite the obvious threat.</p><p>
  <em>As long as it was pointed at him and not Ran, he wouldn’t mind one bit.</em>
</p><p>“-interrupted a council of war! I am <em>so close</em> to finally getting to raze L’Manburg once and for all and I am sick of shit getting in the way, all the time.” Dream shook his head, every inch of him screaming the word unstable. There was a sense of disbelief in the room, as if everyone was shocked to see this side of the admin come to the surface. Tommy remained unfazed, having seen it all before screaming at him above sandy pits full of items. </p><p>He already knew: there would be no talking their way out of this standoff. </p><p>“No more delays,” Dream hissed, taking a step back. Tommy gingerly inched a hand down his leg, trying to reach the last of his knives without alerting anyone to the movement. “No more <em>interruptions</em>.” Another step. “I’ve had enough.”</p><p>The hand holding onto Ranboo’s shoulder snapped up to the kid’s chin, pulling his head back. Tommy’s eyes locked onto the motion, hand frozen on the release mechanism. Alarmed shouts erupted around him, but his focus on the kid never wavered. Ranboo began to struggle, the hand not pinned down by Dream reaching up to pull uselessly at the fingers digging into his jaw.</p><p>A flash of netherite and the axe was back at Ran’s throat, this time pressing in. Tommy’s breath hitched at the sight of a trickle of blood. The red seemed glaringly bright against white skin. </p><p>“<em>We’re done here.</em>”</p><p>Everything happened at once.</p><p>With a yell, Tommy pressed the button, releasing the last dagger. With a rapid flick he let it fly, netherite slicing through the air. He raced after it, hardly registering a flash of black feathers moving alongside him as he ran. Dream pressed harder, Ranboo cried out, and the knife sailed ever closer to the two of them. Tommy watched in dawning horror as Dream pulled the kid in front of its path, the dagger getting closer by the millisecond and going to hit his kid and he couldn’t stop it, he couldn’t stop it- <em>it was going to hit him</em>-</p><p>Ranboo burst into a shower of purple sparks.</p><p>Beside him, Phil screeched to a halt, startled. Tommy kept going, urged on by the angry cry of pain as the knife finally found its mark, reassured that Ranboo was out of Dream’s hands.</p><p>He drew his sword, lunging at the man. </p><p>“You almost killed him you fuckin’ <em>bastard!</em>”</p><p>Dream sloppily parried, unable to wield his axe properly with the dagger stuck through his shoulder. Tommy didn’t hesitate for a second, raining blows and kicks left and right, pushing Dream back. The man stumbled in the onslaught, grip on his axe faltering long enough for Tommy to get up into his space, where he slammed the hilt of his sword into Dream’s injured shoulder.</p><p>A pained roar erupted from under the mask, accompanied by a wild, frenzied swing of the axe. Tommy skillfully blocked it, locking his blade with the handle and sliding down, cutting into Dream’s hand. The grip on the axe loosened, and quick as a flash Tommy reached out and yanked it from the man’s hands. </p><p>He tossed it behind him without a second thought, shoulder checking Dream and sending them both to the ground. Dream grappled with him, trying to pry the sword from his hands. Before he could get a grip Tommy rolled, scrambling to his knees and then to his feet. Leapt over and slammed his left foot down on Dream’s shoulder before the other could get up, using the prosthetic to his advantage as all of Dream’s hits uselessly glanced right off the metal. With a bit of a sick grin, Tommy bent over and retrieved his dagger, relishing in the strangled gasp that followed the motion. He leaned even further down. </p><p>“You shouldn’t have hurt him, <em>fuck</em>, you shouldn’t have <em>touched</em> him,” Tommy snarled into the mask, sword held over Dream’s own throat. <em>Oh, how the tables have fuckin’ turned-</em> “I should fuckin’ gut your green bitchass right now.” He pressed the point in, drawing blood.</p><p>Before Dream had a chance to respond, a tentative hand ghosted over Tommy’s shoulder and he startled, glancing behind him. Phil looked back, eyes wary. But there was something else, a hint of sympathy, as if he somehow understood Tommy’s rage. </p><p><em>Yeah, right. Killed one of his sons, fuckin’ abandoned the other. Bitch has no right.</em> Tommy shrugged the hand off, and Phil let go.</p><p>“Why don’t you get off of him, mate?” he asked quietly, sparing Dream a glance. </p><p>“Absolutely not,” Tommy snapped, pressing harder into Dream’s shoulder, taking satisfaction in the hiss that followed. “I’m not letting him up just so he can fuckin’ come after Ranboo again. No goddamn way.”</p><p>Phil just shook his head, drawing his own sword. “Not what I meant. Technoblade and I will watch him, you can trust us to keep him down.” He pointed over his shoulder. “You’ve got more important business to attend to, I think.”</p><p>Tommy looked past where Techno was hovering behind Phil to the clump of L’Manbergians. Tubbo was gently holding up Ranboo as Fundy carefully held a bit of cloth to his neck. Oh god, <em>Ran</em>.</p><p>In seconds his sword was back in its sheath, and Tommy was practically flying across the room. He guiltlessly shoved Quackity out of the way, taking Ranboo away from Tubbo, who gave the kid up willingly. Tommy collapsed on the ground, pulling the kid into his lap and leaning him back against his chest. Fundy wordlessly handed him the cloth, which Tommy gratefully took. Already zeroed in on the kid in his lap, he didn’t even notice as the three left to give him some space.</p><p>
  <em>Please be alright, please be alright- <strong>I can’t lose you-</strong></em>
</p><p>“Ran?” he called, anxious. He waited as the kid’s eyes slowly opened, blinking sluggishly. There was a harsh cough, and Tommy worryingly pulled the cloth away from the wound. He slumped in relief at the sight of it. The cut wasn’t very deep, superficial really, and hardly even bleeding anymore. <em>Thank god</em>.</p><p>Ranboo squinted up at him. “…Dad?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh fuck.</em>
</p><p>“Yeah buddy,” Tommy choked out, overcome with relief. “It’s me. ‘M right here.”</p><p>The fog started to clear from the kid’s red and green eyes (God, he loved those fuckin’ eyes-) and Ranboo broke out in a goofy grin. “I told that dumb guy with the headband you would come. He didn’t believe me.”</p><p>Tommy chuckled a bit, the sound wetter than he’d like to admit. “That’s just how Sapnap is. The guy’s an imbecile, nothing you can do.”</p><p>Ranboo buried his face in Tommy’s shoulder with a faint giggle. “I wanted to hit him with a chair. Didn’t though.”</p><p>“Maybe you should’ve.”</p><p>“Probably.”</p><p>There was a pause.</p><p>Ranboo reached up and dug his claws into Tommy’s shirt, and Tommy responded in kind by wrapping his arms tight around the kid, forsaking the cloth for a moment. Tommy blew out a shaky breath, tightening his hold.</p><p><em>He’s alright. He’s fine. He’s right here, you’ve got him,</em> he reassured himself. <em>He’s alright.</em></p><p>“I missed you,” Ranboo whispered, trembling the tiniest bit. “It was really lonely a-and I got scared by myself. It s-<em>sucked</em>.”</p><p>“I’ll bet,” Tommy replied quietly, rubbing comforting circles on the kid’s back. “I’m sorry I didn’t get ‘ere faster.”</p><p>Ranboo shook his head, hair tickling Tommy’s chin. “You went as fast as you could. I know you did.”</p><p>“Still,” he murmured, thinking about the night spent alone on <em>Clementine</em>, not knowing what was going to happen to his kid and hating every second of it. “Was longer than I’d like.”</p><p>“Yeah,” Ranboo whispered, caught up in his head just as much as Tommy.</p><p>It got quiet again.</p><p>And then Tommy felt tears against his skin, cold soaking into his shirt. Ranboo’s shoulders shook under his arms, small, choking gasps muffled by his shoulder as the kid pressed his face into it. Tommy readjusted his grip and gently rocked them both back and forth, humming quietly. Vaguely, he was reminded of a dingy alley, a similar reunion after the first time they were apart. </p><p>
  <em>Never again.</em>
</p><p>Ranboo let out a particularly harsh gasp, and Tommy softly shushed him. The kid just clung on tighter.</p><p>“Hey,” he murmured, gently pulling Ranboo’s face from his shoulder. His chest squeezed at the look on Ranboo’s face, and he carefully started to wipe away tears with his thumb. “It’s alright, Ran. ‘M here now, it’s okay.”</p><p>Ranboo sucked in a shaky breath, closing his eyes and leaning further into him. “P-promise?”</p><p>“Promise.”</p><p>
  <em>I swear on my goddamn life, kid.</em>
</p><p>Ranboo nodded, the hiccups beginning to die down,  tears slowing.</p><p>Tommy brushed the messy hair out of Ran’s face and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.</p><p>
  <em>He was here now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was okay.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>REUNION AT LAST! THE BOYS ARE BACK! </p><p>Also sorry for not responding to comments last chapter, I've been a bit busy writing this instead lol. Just know that I do in fact read all of them and adore each and every one. Side note, I've made a decision about the ending, so thanks for the insightful feedback. It was very enlightening.</p><p>Next update will definitely be a little while. I am going to be very busy with very important things. It be like that sometimes, ya know?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Some things are revealed.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yo yo yo I have I new chapter for y'all! </p><p>This one may get a bit emotional. Maybe I relate I little bit too much to Tommy cause I teared up multiple times writing this one. Idk why, but using fictional characters to yell about things you wish you could scream at your own parents really feels nice.</p><p>Anyways, sorry for the wait, show week for the musical took it out of me and then I had nationals for speech living rent free in my head and the sleep schedule fucked me over- but I really hope you enjoy this one.</p><p>TW: Some discussion of suicidal thoughts/intentions and abuse</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tubbo watched silently as the blond guy held what Tubbo assumed was his son, based on all the yelling and threats during the fight earlier. The two strangers were lying in a jumbled mess of limbs on the floor of the council chamber, completely ignoring everyone else in the room. After all the chaos had just happened in like the last ten minutes, Tubbo honestly couldn’t blame them.</p><p>It was one hell of a reunion to witness, that was for sure.</p><p>A wave of exhaustion washed over him, the weight of it pressing down on his shoulders. The sudden and violent interruption had been distracting, but the moment of peace that followed wasn’t enough to take Tubbo’s mind off of the reason they had been in this stupid room in the first place.</p><p>Tommy.</p><p>A dull ache throbbed in his chest, one he was familiar with by now. It used to be sharper, more insistent. But time tends to numb things, especially when you try to ignore them with everything you have. And Tubbo had had plenty of time. Three years. He had been without his best friend for <em>three years</em>, and it was all his fault. </p><p><em>And Dream’s,</em> a part of him whispered. <em>It’s Dream’s fault as much as yours. Blame him.</em> Tubbo had. That’s why he had been about to declare war today. He had sent Tommy away and Tommy was gone because of it. </p><p>He leaned further into the tapestry against his back, trying to use the pressure to ground himself. Fundy and Quackity had gone to discuss something with Philza, leaving him alone in his retreat to the edge of the room.</p><p>A quiet humming drifted into his awareness, and his attention was drawn back to the father-son duo. They were still hugging, and what he could see of the blond guy’s face looked so utterly <em>relieved</em> it made Tubbo’s heart ache.</p><p>The slightest bit of jealousy overtook him, curling in his lungs like a poison.</p><p><em>He wanted to hug Tommy like that. He wanted to apologize over and over and over and make the same promise to never let him go. He wanted to- he- he just wanted <strong>Tommy</strong></em>.</p><p>As soon as the feeling came it was gone, guilt taking its place just as quickly. </p><p>Cringing, Tubbo pushed himself away from the wall, turning his back on the two, not wanting to think about it anymore. He came face-to-face with Ghostbur instead, letting out a quiet screech.</p><p>“What the hell!” Tubbo gasped, clutching at his chest. “You just gave me a heart attack!”</p><p>“Sorry!” Ghostbur chirped, not looking sorry at all. “Ranboo told me I was bad at being sneaky, so I thought you would’ve heard me coming.”</p><p>Tubbo stared at him. <em>You literally don’t walk how was I supposed to-you know what? Whatever.</em></p><p>Tubbo sighed, running a hand down his face. “It’s fine. And who’s Ranboo? That’s the kid, right?”</p><p>Ghostbur nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes, he’s a lovely child. Wonderful sense of humor. Very sarcastic. You’ll love him.”</p><p>Tubbo smiled weakly. “I’m sure.” <em>As if I’ll ever see them again after today.</em></p><p>Ghostbur looked over at them, a soft and sappy look taking over. “He’s such a good dad,” he sighed happily.</p><p>Tubbo hummed noncommittally.</p><p>“His hair has gotten long. I like it. Makes him all <em>mysterious</em>.”</p><p>Brows furrowed, Tubbo traced Ghostbur’s look. The blond guy had finally gotten up, the Ranboo kid held close to his side. Sure, his hair was longer than most people, about Philza length, but why did Ghostbur make it sound like a new development?</p><p>“You know, I never really expected to see him in a different shirt,” the ghost continued. “Green suits him, it’s so calming. He used to be such a fan of red.”</p><p>
  <em>What on earth was he on about?</em>
</p><p>“Why are you acting like you know him?” Tubbo asked, confused by the comparisons. </p><p>Ghostbur giggled, reaching over to playfully pat him on the head between his horns. “Because I do, silly! I know I’m forgetful sometimes but I’m not <em>that</em> forgetful.”</p><p>That… didn’t clear things up at all.</p><p>Ghostbur hummed happily. “I’m going to go chat with them,” he decided. “Now that he’s done with dad duty.”</p><p>“Ghostbur wait-“ Tubbo tried to grab onto his sleeve, thinking that acting overly familiar with a very protective stranger would not end well for anyone, but Ghostbur was already floating away.</p><p>“Hullo!” he called cheerfully.</p><p>Ranboo’s dad stopped murmuring to the kid and looked up warily, the cautious expression turning into a more resigned one once the guy realized who he was talking to. “‘Ello Ghostbur,” he sighed. “Ranboo says that you helped break ‘im out, huh?”</p><p>The ghost nodded enthusiastically. “Yup! Did you know he talked about you the whole time? He really loves you, you know. You must be a great dad, I’m so proud.”</p><p>The guy looked sheepish, ears and face going a little red. He coughed awkwardly. “Uh.. thanks, I guess.”</p><p>
  <em>What the hell is happening right now?</em>
</p><p>Ghostbur beamed. “You’re welcome!” The smile faded a bit, and Tubbo watched curiously as Ghostbur scrunched up his face in confusion. “I don’t remember you having a son, though. Is he new?”</p><p>For some reason Tubbo couldn’t understand, the embarrassment had begun to shift into nervousness, and he watched the guy pull Ranboo closer, blue eyes skipping around the room as if looking for a way out. “Well, I-“</p><p>Ghostbur, oblivious to the discomfort, moved closer and the guy took a step back in response. “There’s something else new, too. Besides the hair and the clothes, of course.” The ghost scrutinized the poor dude, getting right up in the duo’s face as he tried to figure it out. “What is it…?”</p><p>Nervous fingers tugged at the blond ponytail as an anxious gaze searched for an escape.  “I- uhm,” the guy swallowed nervously. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, big man, but I really gotta head out now-“</p><p>The ghost suddenly snapped his fingers, looking triumphant. “Your leg! That’s it!” Then Ghostbur frowned. “You used to have two of those, didn’t you Tommy?”</p><p>Both Tubbo and the guy stiffened at the same time. </p><p>
  <em>What did he mean-</em>
</p><p>The blond guy– <em>Tommy?</em> looked utterly panicked. “I have no fuckin’ clue who this Tommy fella is, Ghostbur, you must’ve gotten me mixed up with someone else-“</p><p>A laugh cut him off. “Oh, Tommy. You’re so silly! Of course I know it’s you, Ranboo told me!” </p><p>Ranboo’s dad stuttered out excuses, but Tubbo didn’t hear any of them. A high-pitched ringing in his ears blocked it all out as he stared at them, a strange tightness to his chest. Ghostbur had said- he had called him-</p><p>
  <em>Tommy.</em>
</p><p>Blond hair. Blue eyes. Screaming every swear word known to man and holy shit <em>Tommy</em>. </p><p>Tubbo stared at him through blurry eyes. Him- Tommy. His best friend. </p><p>Alive and breathing and <em>here</em>. </p><p>How did he not notice? How did he not realize? The grin, that stupid smile, the cocky attitude-</p><p>Tubbo stumbled forward, tears streaming unnoticed down his cheeks.</p><p><em>How did he not notice that Tommy he was right there, Tommy is</em> right there- </p><p>A strangled cry tore itself out of him, and blue eyes snapped up to his, impossibly wide. </p><p>
  <em>Tommy Tommy Tommy Tommy-</em>
</p><p>“T-Tommy?”</p><p> </p><p>————————</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Fuck fuck fuck fuck-</em>
</p><p>Tommy watched as Tubbo moved closer, unable to look away from the brown eyes swimming with tears, almost wanting to cry himself.</p><p>Tubbo called his name.</p><p>
  <em>Tubbo called his name.</em>
</p><p>Ghostbur knew and Tubbo knew and he could see Phil’s head turn and <em>shit</em>-</p><p>Well, he had known this was a possibility, right? He’d been a little surprised they hadn’t recognized him earlier, when Dream ripped off his hood. Sure, his hair was longer and he’d gained some weight and a tan but he hadn’t changed that much, had he?</p><p>But now Tubbo was crying and Ghostbur was confused and everyone was coming closer and he didn’t-</p><p>“What do you mean, ‘Tommy’, Tubbo?” Phil asked, leaving Techno behind with Dream. Tommy noticed how his voice shook. </p><p>
  <em>Shit, were they still mad at him?</em>
</p><p>Tubbo stopped a few feet away, staring at him, tears still streaming down his cheeks. “G-Ghostbur called him-“ A hiccup. “He said he knew him and called him Tommy and Phil… <em>look.</em>”</p><p>Tommy felt eyes on him, searching gazes running themselves over his face, trying to find proof. He shifted uncomfortably, really, <em>really</em> wanting to get out of here, to avoid whatever epiphany they were all about to have.</p><p>“Oh,” Phil breathed, suddenly looking a little weak, “Holy shit.” The man unsteadily grabbed onto one of the scattered chairs and sank into it, the shock on his face mirroring that of everyone else in the room.</p><p>“Wait, that’s <em>Tommy</em>?” Quackity shrieked. “He’s fucking alive? Since when?!”</p><p><em>Wait… they thought I was</em> dead?</p><p>And all at once, it’s as if it sunk in that not only were they staring at one Tommy Innit, but that Tommy had been alive for three whole years. This whole time, Tommy had remained in this world while they were none the wiser.</p><p>The whole room erupted into shouts.</p><p>“How are you alive?!”</p><p>“Toms, since when did you have a kid-“</p><p>“What the fuck, dude? Literally, what the hell?”</p><p>“How old even is he?”</p><p>“You’ve been alive this whole time?!”</p><p>The barrage of questions became overwhelming, sound coming at him in all directions as people closed in, stunned and anxious gazes still tearing into him. It was feeling like too much- there was too much sound and they were so loud and he just wanted out of here-</p><p>Tommy squeezed his eyes shut, trying to steady his nerves. He tried to pull Ranboo closer, forcing his breathing to even out as panic tried to creep in.</p><p>Instead, Ranboo pushed away from him, facing everyone there and the anxious questions still pouring out of them.</p><p>“HEY!” the kid shouted over the noise. “Stop yelling! You’re all stressing him out!”</p><p>The racket died down, and an uneasy silence took its place.</p><p>Satisfied, Ranboo returned to Tommy’s side.</p><p>“Thanks Ran,” he whispered, opening his eyes again.</p><p>The kid just nodded, the understanding not requiring anything else.</p><p>Phil cautiously cleared his throat. “Toms, really. How long have you had a kid for?”</p><p>Tommy couldn’t help but be confused by that one. Apparently they had thought he was <em>dead</em>, of all things, and <em>that’s</em> what Phil was choosing to focus on? Really?</p><p>“I’ve been taking care of him for like two and a half years or something. Why?”</p><p>There was another round of shocked looks in the small crowd. </p><p>Fundy laughed incredulously. “Tommy has been taking care of a kid since he was 16? Who let that happen?”</p><p>
  <em>Oh fuck you, man.</em>
</p><p>Tommy bristled. “I’ve done just fine, thank you very much. Ranboo is a good kid.”</p><p>“We’re not doubting that, Toms,” Phil soothed. “I think everyone’s just a bit confused as to how you got to be his guardian in the first place, mate.”</p><p>“I-“</p><p>“He ran away and I followed him. He didn’t have to take care of me, but he still did,” Ranboo piped up. “He’s a great dad, too.”</p><p>Phil’s attention fell on the kid, and Tommy tensed. “How old are you, mate?”</p><p>“Twelve.”</p><p>Phil’s eyebrows shot up. “He’s only-“</p><p>“Okay, that’s enough,” Tommy cut in. “I don’t know why you fuckin’ care so much, as it’s none of your damn business anyway, Phil.”</p><p>The man looked taken aback. “I’m not trying to be upsetting, Tommy. It’s just you turn up after we think you’re dead for three years, missing a leg and looking for a child that somehow got taken by Dream’s guards. I think it’s fair that I’m a little concerned-“</p><p>“It’s not,” Tommy deadpanned. “Fuck you.”</p><p>
  <em>I want to leave I want to leave I want to leave-</em>
</p><p>“I’m actually a little curious about that one as well,” Sapnap cut in. “The kid said you were literally arrested once?”</p><p>“Shut up, bitch. This doesn’t involve you.”</p><p>“Toms-“</p><p>“Nope. Don’t wanna hear anything you have to say, bitch. You have no damn right to talk to me about parenting, <em>Phil</em>.”</p><p>Phil sighed, looking more disappointed than anything. Tommy hated it. He could feel his hands shaking and <em>why</em> did they have to question everything he did, the stupid idiots hadn’t even <em>been</em> there-</p><p>“Low blow, mate.”</p><p>Tommy rolled his eyes. <em>Only because it’s true.</em></p><p>Phil sighed again. “Toms, I’m just saying that maybe you shouldn’t be taking care of him on your own-“</p><p>“Oh my god-“</p><p>His hands were definitely shaking now. Why were they doing that?</p><p>“No listen, I’m just trying to say-“</p><p>
  <em>This is why I didn’t want to come back I want to go home stop talking, please-</em>
</p><p>“Shut <em>up</em>, Phil.”</p><p>
  <em>Please just stop.</em>
</p><p>Phil scoffed. “Tommy, you know you’re not responsible enough, you can’t handle-“</p><p>“OH WILL YOU <em>FUCK OFF</em>!”</p><p>The room fell silent.</p><p>Tommy’s chest heaved, whole body trembling. Perhaps with anger, or something else. He wasn’t even sure anymore.</p><p>“<em>Don’t</em>,” he hissed. “Don’t you <em>dare</em> tell me what I can or can’t handle. Don’t you fucking dare.” </p><p>Phil slowly stood, hands up in a placating gesture. “Toms-“</p><p>“NO!” he shouted, stepping back, pulling Ranboo with him. “You all <em>left</em> me. You fucking left me in exile with that <em>bastard</em>,” he swung an arm out to point toward where Techno was standing with a boot on Dream’s chest. “Do you know what he did?” he gritted out. “Do you?”</p><p>Everyone exchanged wary and confused glances, and a few shook their heads.</p><p>Tommy let out a bitter laugh. His eyes burned, hands shaking, wavering a bit where he stood. Ranboo leaned into his side, and Tommy focused on the familiar weight, grounding himself. He couldn’t hold it in anymore, couldn’t keep trying to forget it if they were all just going to throw it back in his face-</p><p>“That son of a bitch abused me. Dream abused me,” he whispered. “He took my armor, my tools, blew it up. Told me everyone-” He looked up and locked eyes with Tubbo, whose horrified gaze was once again filled with tears. “<em>Everyone</em> hated me. Didn’t want me around, didn’t care if I lived or died. And you know what?”</p><p>Tommy laughed again, more strangled this time, the sound caught in his throat as tears slipped down his cheeks. “I fucking believed it! Every. single. fucking. word.” He let go of Ranboo to run a trembling hand through his hair, giving them a wretched grin. “Why the hell would I think otherwise? None of you visited me! Not once!”</p><p>Technoblade cleared this throat from the back of the room. “Tommy, no one came to visit ‘cause you didn’t want us there. We betrayed you, you betrayed us. Why would we think you would want us to come see you?”</p><p>Tommy stared at him.</p><p><em>You betrayed us.</em> </p><p>
  <em>Why would we come see you?</em>
</p><p>A tidal wave of memories came flooding back, ones he had been hiding from behind sea spray and jungle flowers for the last three years. </p><p>Phil, piercing Wilbur through the chest. Techno, laughing as he unleashed Withers upon the ruins of L’Manberg. Tubbo, standing on an obsidian wall, watching with a blank expression as Tommy was dragged away, arm bruising in Dream’s grip. Dream, forcing him to watch as what little he had left went up in flames. Dream, pushing him , hitting him, laughing as he lay in the dirt, crying and starving and <em>so fucking tired</em>. Dream, pulling him away from the lava. Waking up in the ocean, drowning, over and over and over and over again and just wanting to stay down there.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>You betrayed us.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>What a load of <em>utter bullshit.</em></p><p>Tommy lost his patience.</p><p>His lips curled into a sneer, all the built-up bitterness and hidden resentment coming to the surface, limbs tense and eyes burning. “I betrayed you? I betrayed <em>you?</em> Techno, I was fucking <em>alone</em> for so damn long-“</p><p>Techno rolled his eyes. “And whose fault was that Tommy? If you hadn’t been causing problems-“</p><p>“Why the FUCK are you talking? You weren’t even there!”</p><p>“I’ve heard plenty.”</p><p>“You don’t <em>get it</em> Techno, you don’t understand-“</p><p>“Phil told me enough,” Techno leveled him with a glare. “Why didn’t you come back, Tommy? You worried him. Phil mourned you and I had to watch him fall apart.“</p><p>“Tech-“ Phil tried to interrupt.</p><p>“You <em>pretentous</em> PRICK-“</p><p>“I would like to know that too, actually,” a new voice cut in.</p><p>At this, they paused. They slowly turned to look at Tubbo, who had remained silent this whole time.</p><p>Tubbo’s face was pale and wet with tears, and his voice was shaking, but he drew himself up when all eyes fell on him. “I just…why- why did you let us think you were dead, Tommy?”</p><p>Tommy’s face fell. “Tubbo-“</p><p> “He said you- Dream told us you killed yourself Tommy. I thought- we all thought…”</p><p>“Tubs, listen! I-“</p><p>“No, Tommy!” Tubbo shouted, shaking his head vehemently. “For three years- <em>three years</em> you let us believe that you- you-“</p><p>“I ALMOST DID!”</p><p>Tubbo froze.</p><p>All the air was sucked out of the room, and uneasy silence took its place. Tubbo’s mouth fell shut and he shrunk back, wide eyes locked on Tommy. Everyone else in the room grew dead still as Tommy’s ragged breaths roared in his own ears.</p><p>Slowly, Ranboo reached down and grabbed his free hand. The kid gave it a reassuring squeeze.</p><p>And <em>god</em>, Tommy had never loved him more.</p><p>He closed his eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath, steeling himself. “I almost did. Let myself drown or- or fall into lava and just burn or some shit. I- I wanted to, so fucking bad. Dream wasn’t lying about that.”</p><p>“Jesus,” someone muttered.</p><p>“But I didn’t. I left that shithole an’ nearly died, and lost my goddamn leg as a result. But you know what? Guess it was worth it, ‘cause I found a family better than any I’ve ever had here.” </p><p>He opened his eyes and turned to Phil, whose expression was some sort of blend between horror, resignation, and regret.</p><p>“So I’m sorry,” he said, letting the tension bleed out of him. “For making you grieve. I’m sorry for finding someone to care about, someone who loves me as much as I love him. I’m sorry for finding peace and finally feeling wanted, <em>needed</em> for once in my goddamn life. I’m fucking <em>sorry</em> for deciding to actually live, instead of wasting away in some long forgotten prairie.”</p><p>Tommy wrapped an arm around Ranboo’s shoulders, pulling him even closer. Ranboo tucked his head under Tommy’s chin, holding on just as tightly while still trying to keep everyone else in view. “But you don’t get to fucking tell me to give that up.”</p><p>Phil looked shocked, and Tommy watched the tightness fall the man’s shoulders, his age suddenly seeming even more obvious than before. </p><p>“I’m sorry, Toms,” Phil murmured, looking down. “I shouldn’t have-“</p><p>“Whatever,” he muttered, the fight draining out of him.</p><p>He looked around the room, at the faces looking back at him. Phil, apologetic. Techno, looking at least a little guilty. Tubbo, with tear tracks on his face, looking for all the world like someone whose heart had just been broken.</p><p>Maybe it had.</p><p>Exhaustion hit him like a wave, slamming into him all at once. He was tired of being angry. He was tired of arguing, dragging up old shit that didn’t even matter to him, not anymore. He just wanted to move on. No more holding grudges. There wasn’t enough time for that shit anyways.</p><p>Tommy took a deep, shuddering breath.</p><p>And then he let go.</p><p>“I’m not really mad at you all, you know,” he murmured. </p><p>Phil’s head lifted wearily, and Tubbo slowly scrubbed the tears from his face.</p><p>“Not anymore, anyways,” he sighed. “Haven’t been for a long time, I think. I’ve had more important things to worry about. This is just a lot and I-”</p><p>He smiled, and felt a few tears slip out. “‘M so tired, Phil. I just want to go home.”</p><p>Phil’s face softened, but Tommy could see the confusion swimming in his eyes. “Toms, you are home.”</p><p>Tommy shook his head, smile turning bittersweet. “This hasn’t been my home for a long ass time, big man. I can’t say I haven’t missed it at least a little,” he looked up and met Tubbo’s eyes. “Because I ‘ave. I really really fuckin’ missed it, some days more than others.” </p><p>“But this place isn’t mine,” he swept a hand out, a gesture to encompass everyone present. “You all aren’t mine anymore.” People started to protest, but he held up his hand and they fell silent. “‘M not saying that can’t change, just- just not right now.”</p><p>Phil looked like he still wanted to argue, but Quackity coming forward interrupted whatever the man might have been about to say. Quackity gave Tommy a sad but genuine smile, reaching out and gently taking his hand. Something was pressed into his palm, and Tommy looked down to see Quackity’s communicator. The man used his other hand to curl Tommy’s hand around it, giving it a little squeeze.</p><p>“You’re gonna take this, you dumb bitch,” Quackity said, still smiling. “And you’re gonna message us, and you’re gonna come back to visit. I don’t care when, but you’re gonna. I don’t wanna hear any fucking excuses, alright?”</p><p>Tommy returned the smile with watery one of his own. “Alright, Big Q.”</p><p>Quackity nodded and gave his hand a pat before retreating back to Fundy and Sapnap. Tommy slipped the communicator into his pocket, the weight of it a comforting promise. He’d come back. They’d fix things.</p><p>When he was ready.</p><p>He wasn’t quite sure when that would be, but that didn’t matter. The chance was enough.</p><p>Tommy glanced down at the kid still attached to his front. “Hey, Ran.” the kid looked back up at him, eyes shining.</p><p>Tommy felt the relief from earlier settle back into his bones. Something felt- <em>lighter</em>, somehow.</p><p>“Let’s go home, yeah?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That was a fun one, huh?</p><p>Thanks for the feedback a couple chapters ago, it really helped me to shape the ending to this chapter. Also, for those of you begging for a Clingyduo reunion, fear not. Their moment in this story is not over yet. Those two deserve a happier ending than the rest of the DSMP ensemble, and therefore they shall get one.</p><p>Side note: HOLY SHIT I HAVE SO MANY KUDOS. WHAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. If anyone ever makes fanart, I made an instagram for this account, it's in my profile bio. Feel free to tag me in stuff or message me! I'd love to hear from you guys. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>"Well, that's it. The very last one."  -Danny DeVito</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So- this is it. The final chapter.</p><p>It's been a hell of a journey, really. Over 50k words. (That's so long, how did I write that much, literally how-) 3000 kudos. Over 1000 comments. 40k+ hits. Just- I cannot comprehend those numbers, like at all. </p><p>I just want to say thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. I have never gotten this much overwhelming support for a project before, and it's been such an awesome experience. Thanks so much for sticking with this story, I hope it was as much fun for you guys as it was for me.</p><p>And last but not least, I dedicate this chapter to SnakesonDrugs. This one's for you, my friend, I hope you're satisfied at last.</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When they set foot back on <em>Clementine</em>’s deck, the world exploded into a cacophony of happy curses.</p><p>Ranboo laughed in delight as Birdthany swooped down from the crow’s nest for the first time in two days. She landed on the kid’s head, shrieking and gnawing angrily on his hair.</p><p>The kid reached up and gave her a scratch under the chin. “I missed you too.”</p><p>The sun was already dipping toward the horizon, and much as Tommy would love to leave the harbor of the SMP behind, he was completely exhausted from the events of the day. Instead, he let Ranboo drag him into the cabin of the ship and force him into one of the chairs at their table while the kid went to get bandages. Tommy was reluctant to say put, not wanting to let go of the kid despite the fact that he hadn’t lost contact with him the entire way out of the castle and back home. </p><p>But Ranboo stayed in his sight, seeming to understand that Tommy’s characteristic mother-hen instincts were still going haywire (for good reason, he might add). The kid then helped to carefully clean and bandage the wound on his shoulder, a routine they were both familiar with due to their many skirmishes over the past year.</p><p>When it came time for Tommy to bandage the cut on Ranboo’s throat, neither of them said a thing about how unsteady his hands were.</p><p>One change of clothes later and they collapsed into bed, both refusing to let go of the other.</p><p> </p><p>——————</p><p> </p><p>The next day was a whirlwind of repairs and cleanup, trying to get <em>Clementine</em> back into shape. Tommy had scrambled to get her in a state able to sail to the SMP capital, but she had been far from fixed.</p><p>Smashed lamps were replaced, boards straightened out, ropes detangled and sails patched and smoothed. There were barrels and crates out of place, probably tossed about by the waves. They spent the day dancing around, falling easily back into their rhythm of banter and teasing. But all the while Tommy, being the paranoid bastard he was, made sure he knew Ranboo’s whereabouts constantly. And Ranboo never let Tommy be alone for too long, not wanting to be separated again.</p><p>But they were getting back to normal, and that’s what mattered.</p><p>The sun was setting again when Tommy finally deemed them ready to sail. They cut the ropes tying them to the dock, and <em>Clementine</em> was back out to sea.</p><p>When they were far enough out, Tommy stepped away from the wheel, deeming the breeze low enough to just let her drift for a while. He ambled over to the main mast, climbing the ladder up to the crows nest where Ranboo was spending the evening with Birdthany. The wintertime sun was already creeping toward the horizon, washing the sea in shades of peach and coral, glinting with gold and blazing scarlet. The kid leaned into him, and they watched the sunset together.</p><p>As the last glow faded from the waves, they both retreated to the cabin to better escape the chill. They were far from arctic waters, but even the warm biomes had a bite to them this late in the year once the sun went down. Tommy and Ranboo curled up next to each other on top of the covers of the bed, Tommy flipping through a book, Ranboo reading along with him.</p><p>Tommy was beginning to doze off sometime later, the gentle rocking of the ship and the lingering exhaustion of the previous day taking its toll, when a dull thump startled him awake. He blinked sluggishly, checking to make sure Ranboo was still next to him and not the cause of the sound.</p><p>A scrape of wood on wood had him sitting up in an instant, now sure he wasn’t hearing things.</p><p>The kid sat up at the same time, both of them staring at the door. “What was that?”</p><p>“Fuck if I know-“</p><p>There was another thump of wood, followed by almost inaudible bickering. Tommy slowly stood, creeping over to the cabin door and trying to peer through the frosted glass without exposing himself. There were a few more clattering sounds, followed by a muffled scolding. Tommy scowled. Now was not the time for petty thieves to be fucking with his ship.  </p><p>Tommy picked up the scabbard that had been left leaning against the doorframe earlier, pulling his sword out of it. “Ran, stay here.”</p><p>“Wait, are you-“</p><p>“<em>Stay. Here</em>.”</p><p>Eyes wide, Ranboo tucked himself into the corner of the bed, picking up a pillow and hiding himself behind it like a shield. He gave Tommy a nod, entirely serious. Confident that the kid would actually listen to the order, Tommy sucked in a deep breath and cracked open the cabin door. He snuck out, silently closing it behind him. The sound of hissed arguing got louder now that he was out on the deck, and he readjusted the grip on his sword, pulling himself under the stairs. Peering out from the shadows, Tommy could make out two vague figures on the far end of the ship, surrounded by some barrels that were used for storage.</p><p>After a moment of observation in which he was reassured no one else was on the ship, Tommy crept forward, darting behind masts and a few loose crates, sticking to the shadows cast by the half-moon overhead. </p><p>It wouldn’t be the first time some dumb bitches decided it would be a good idea to mess with <em>Clementine</em> and her two man, one bird crew. Far from it. Tommy had dealt with plenty of pricks who thought rifling through their barrels and chests looking for gold was a good idea. Unfortunately for these idiots, Tommy was running on minimal sleep, multiple fights worth of aches, pains, and left over adrenaline, and the residual stress of seeing his kid’s head almost get lopped off yesterday. Therefore, he was not really in the mood to be extremely merciful right now. </p><p><em>Sucks for them.</em> </p><p>Soon, Tommy ran out of shadows, pausing in his last spot of obscurity to assess the situation. One of the intruders was trying to return an overturned barrel to its original position while scolding the other, who was pulling the lids off of various containers with childish abandon to see what was inside. </p><p>
  <em>These have got to be the least stealthy fuckers I have ever met in my life.</em>
</p><p>This close, Tommy could actually make out what they were saying. </p><p>“-will you stop opening everything? We were meant to be finding a better spot to hide until Ranboo was asleep and we could talk to Tommy, not making a mess-“</p><p>There was another clattering noise as one more lid was tossed aside. “Ooh, look! This one has gapples in it! My, that’s a lot-“</p><p>A long suffering sigh, followed by the first person burying their face in their hands. “Why did I agree to let you come with again?”</p><p>“Because I’m fun! And you were upset and needed blue for the trip, so I had to tag along- ooh, carrots!”</p><p>Tommy stopped listening and decided to just go for it. Enough of this eavesdropping shit, it was time for these fools to get out of his hair. He had a book and a nap to get back to.</p><p>All of a sudden he lunged out of the shadows, delivering a vicious swipe across the back of the intruder who was distracted by the barrels of food. There was a startled cry, but he didn’t stick around long enough to check the damage. Tommy spun on the other person, who had scrambled away in a panic, trying to hide behind the barrels.</p><p>“Nice try, idiot,” he sneered, chasing after them. “But that’s like the oldest trick in the fuckin’ book!”</p><p>He launched himself over a barrel, ignoring a yelp of “Wait!” and charging. </p><p>There was a startled gasp and a diamond axe came up to meet the swipe of his sword just in the nick of time. Tommy couldn’t help but be the slightest bit impressed. This idiot was much better at fighting than most of the idiots he encountered in this type of fight. He narrowed his eyes, pressing forward even harder. </p><p>“Tommy, wait-!”</p><p>Axe and sword clashed, the two of them dancing around barrels, diamond and netherite flashing in tandem under brief glimpses of the moon. His opponent fought back, but only made defensive moves, as if they were afraid of injuring him.</p><p>Tommy grinned. Rookie mistake. If you were gonna rob someone, at least have the guts to do it <em>right</em>. </p><p>Soon, he had them pinned by the railing of the ship, unable to evade his advance. In a flash, Tommy knocked their axe away, pressing the tip his his blade to their chest, and the intruder started backing up, hands raised in surrender.</p><p>“Stop for a second-“</p><p>“I don’t know why you thought it was a good idea to board my ship in the middle of the night,” Tommy growled, pacing closer. “But I am not in the fuckin’ mood to deal with this right now.“</p><p>The person’s back hit the railing, bringing the retreat to a halt, and the sword came to rest right over their heart.</p><p>“If I were you I’d start praying to your god right about now, ‘cause-“</p><p>The boat shifted, and the shadow cast by the sails moved, no longer covering the spot where they were stood. And for the first time, Tommy could see who he had been fighting. He stopped in shock.</p><p>“Wha- <em>Tubbo?!</em>”</p><p>Tubbo gave him a weak smile. “Hey, Big Man.”</p><p>“What the <em>fuck</em>? Why are you-”</p><p>“I’ll explain, but could you move your sword please? It’s a little uncomfortable.”</p><p>With a jolt, Tommy snatched the blade away from Tubbo’s chest, tossing it aside like it had burnt him.</p><p>“Sorry, I- <em>shit</em>-“</p><p>He whipped around, suddenly remembering Tubbo hadn’t been alone. And he had slashed open the back of whoever had been with him, probably one of the fellow residents of L’Manburg. Oh <em>fuck</em>-</p><p>A hand settled on his shoulder and he jumped, looking back at Tubbo, who had a look of understanding on his face. “It was just Ghostbur, Tommy, he’s fine. He probably got scared and upset and vanished, but you didn’t hurt him. He’ll show back up eventually.”</p><p>Tommy let out a breath, letting himself relax. <em>You didn’t hurt him, he’s already dead. He’ll be fine.</em></p><p>“Alright,” he muttered, turning back around and shrugging the hand away. Tommy squinted at Tubbo, ignoring the way his friend’s (were they still friends after exile?) face fell at the loss of contact. “Mind telling me how and why the fuck you’re sneaking ‘round my ship in the middle of the night and scaring the shit out of me?”</p><p>Tubbo winced, looking down at the ground. “That’s Ghostbur’s fault. I was planning on just talking to you - you know, like a regular person- but you were really busy and Ghostbur got bored and started opening things…” Tubbo grimaced. “I didn’t really think this whole thing through though, if I’m honest.”</p><p>“Think <em>what</em> through? Why are you here?” Tommy snapped, still on a bit on edge from the whole fight a few minutes ago.</p><p>Maybe he should feel worse about being short with Tubbo, but it had been a long ass week, alright? He was tired and ache-y, and if he was being entirely honest- Tommy was <em>scared</em>.</p><p>He had yelled at Tubbo earlier. They hadn’t said anything to each other since the screaming match in the council chambers. And before that, well- the last time he had seen his best friend was when Tubbo was turning his back on him from atop obsidian walls, three years ago. He had every right to fear the reason why Tubbo would sneak onto his ship just to have a friendly chat.</p><p>Tubbo laughed, the sound full of disbelief at the question. Tommy stared at his friend, wanting to ask so many more, but he swallowed them back down. They rang around inside his head instead.</p><p>
  <em>Are you still mad at me? Are we still friends? Do you still care? Because I do. I never stopped. I’ve carried that stupid compass for the past however long pretending it didn’t hurt to look at your name and saying that I’d moved on but I haven’t, Tubbo, I haven’t-</em>
</p><p>“You want to know why I’m here?” Tubbo interrupted the tirade, finally looking back up at him. To his surprise, there were tears shining in Tubbo’s eyes. “I’m here for <em>you</em>, Tommy.”</p><p>
  <em>What?</em>
</p><p>Tommy stared at him. “I- I don’t-“</p><p>“You were dead.” Tommy flinched at that. “You were dead for <em>three years</em>, Tommy. You were gone and every day I sat in that god damn white house wishing I could go back and save you from what I did and-“ Tubbo choked up. “And then there you were. Right in front of me and <em>alive</em>, a-and all I could do was cry about it, and I didn’t even say anything. And then everyone was yelling… and you were gone again. You left.”</p><p>Tommy watched the tears track down Tubbo’s cheeks, unsure of what to say. “Tubs, you gotta understand, I couldn’t stay there. I know L’Manburg was our home, but you <em>exiled</em> me and-“</p><p>Tubbo shook his head, and Tommy cut himself off. “That’s not what I’m saying. I don’t care that you left L’Manburg, Tommy. I care that you left <em>me</em>.” </p><p>
  <em>…Oh.</em>
</p><p>“I watched you walk out that door, and I guess realized my only option was to follow. So I gave up the Presidency and grabbed some stuff and ran after you, but there wasn’t time to talk before you were about to leave the harbor so Ghostbur and I just jumped on board-“</p><p>“Wait,” Tommy interrupted. “You gave up the Presidency? Why?!”</p><p>Tubbo gaped at him. “<em>Why?</em> Tommy, I just got you back. I’m not going to lose you again!”</p><p>He couldn’t- Tubbo hadn’t lost him, Tubbo had sent him away. Tubbo didn’t miss him, it was only Tommy who-</p><p>There were hands on his face and he flinched. Tubbo didn’t let go though, just kept looking up at him and wiping the tears that were falling.</p><p>
  <em>When had he started crying?</em>
</p><p>“You-“</p><p>“I missed you so much, Toms,” Tubbo whispered, smiling through his own tears. “And I am so, so sorry.”</p><p>The <em>I love you</em> went unsaid. Tommy heard it anyway.</p><p>
  <em>”I am so, so sorry.”</em>
</p><p>He had been trying to forgive, hadn’t he?</p><p>With a gasp, he fell forward, burying his face in Tubbo’s neck. Tubbo clung on in return, holding on so tight it was as if he were waiting for Tommy to disappear and then he would be left with nothing but empty air. </p><p>There was a lapse in conversation for a moment, replaced instead with quiet gasps and shuddering breaths. Tommy’s fingers clenched in Tubbo’s jacket.</p><p>“Did you really give up L’Manburg for me?” he mumbled.</p><p>“Yup. Put Fundy and Big Q in charge. They can deal just fine without me, and besides- you’re more important to me anyways.” Tubbo held him even tighter. “I realized that too late before, and I’m not making the same mistake again.”</p><p>Tommy let out a wet chuckle. He wasn’t even sure what the hell he was laughing at, but there was such a sense of- of <em>relief</em> in his chest, and he had to release it somehow. “Sounds good, Tubzo.”</p><p>With a final squeeze, Tubbo pulled away, using a sleeve to scrub at his own face. “Thanks for hearing me out.”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Things got quiet for a moment. </p><p>And then Tommy remembered why he had run out here in the first place, and the fact that Ranboo was probably waiting for him to come back.</p><p>“Shit, Ran-“ </p><p>He spun on his heel and sprinted over to the cabin, Tubbo following behind after a moment of hesitation. He opened the door, worried that Ranboo might be thinking that something had happened to him-</p><p>And promptly got a pillow to the face.</p><p>“Ow- the fuck?”</p><p>The pillow was retracted, and Tommy turned to see Ranboo standing next to the door, pillow now limp in his hands.</p><p>“Sorry, I thought you were an intruder,” he said, shooting him a sheepish grin.</p><p>Tommy sighed, reaching over to ruffle his hair. “I’d prefer not to be assaulted in my own ‘ome, but I can’t say I don’t applaud your efforts.”</p><p>Ranboo glanced behind him to the open door. “Was there someone attacking us?”</p><p>“Not quite.” Tommy stepped into the room, leaving Tubbo exposed in the doorway behind him. “Just an idiot.”</p><p>Ranboo squinted at the new face for a second, eyes quickly lighting up with recognition. “Hey, you’re Tubbo! The compass guy!”</p><p>“Uh- I am?” Tubbo asked, confused. He turned to Tommy. “What’s he talking about?”</p><p>Tommy reached inside his shirt, pulling out the familiar compass that had been resting there. “Ran’s talking about the compass Ghostbur gave me in exile. I uh, didn’t really talk about the SMP much, so that’s really the only way he knew your name until yesterday.”</p><p>“Huh.” Tubbo turned back to Ranboo. “Then I am in fact the compass guy. It’s nice to actually meet you, kid.”</p><p>Ranboo crossed his arms, eyes narrowed at Tubbo. <em>The protectiveness is rubbing off on him</em>. </p><p>“Why are you here?”</p><p>“He’s the new cabin boy,” Tommy said, crossing over to flop on the bed. </p><p>“I’m what?”</p><p>Ranboo scrutinized Tubbo for a few more moments before shrugging. “Cool.” He then followed Tommy to the bed, draping himself on top of him. </p><p>“Oh <em>ew</em>, you’re all sweaty.”</p><p>“I just participated in a sword fight, genius. If you hate it that much then get off.”</p><p>“How about no.”</p><p>Tommy peeked between the limbs of the child on top of him to look at Tubbo, who was still standing awkwardly in the doorway. There was a perplexed look on his face, as if he wasn’t used to seeing this side of his friend. </p><p>
  <em>Better get used to it, bitch. If you thought I was clingy before, just wait until you see me now.</em>
</p><p>“You wanna sit down, Cabin boy, or are you just gonna stand there looking all constipated ’n shit?”</p><p>Tubbo snapped out of it, wandering over to the table on the other side of the room and falling into one of the chairs. “What does that mean, ‘cabin boy’?”</p><p>“It means you swab the deck or something, I don’t know.”</p><p>Tubbo’s brows furrowed, but there was a glint of humor in his eyes. “Ghostbur told me you were called Captain Innit, and you don’t know what your crew members are meant to do?” He stopped for a second, something dawning on him. “Am I a member of your crew now?”</p><p>“I don’t know, are you?”</p><p>“Yes,” Ranboo said, muffled. “Unless you wanna walk the plank we don’t actually own and go for a swim.”</p><p>“Uh, no thanks.”</p><p>Tommy grinned. “You heard First Mate Boo, then Tubs. Welcome to the crew of <em>Clementine</em>.”</p><p>Tubbo smiled back, a soft mushy sort of smile that Tommy used to make fun of him for. This time, Tommy was just happy to see it. “I’m honored,” Tubbo said sincerely, before suddenly shooting up in his seat. “Oh! Speaking of- Ghostbur picked out an apology gift for you, let me go find it-“</p><p>He promptly left the room to go find this mysterious olive branch gift, leaving Tommy and Ranboo alone for the moment.</p><p>“Alright, get your bony ass off me.”</p><p>Ranboo didn’t reply.</p><p>“Ran, I swear if you fall asleep on me like this- Come on, roll over.”</p><p>Groaning, Ranboo flopped off of him onto the bed, back into the nest of blankets he had been in before Tubbo and Ghostbur had made their presence known.</p><p>Tommy sat back up, scrubbing at his eyes. Exhaustion was beginning to take hold, and he wanted nothing more than to just pass out right now, but he couldn’t. He had to get Tubbo settled first, and then make sure the ship was on course and clean up the mess Ghostbur made-</p><p>Tubbo came back into the room, hiding something behind his back. “I personally throught it was a dumb idea, but Ghostbur insisted, and it’s kinda grown on me now.”</p><p>Tommy perked up a little, curiosity getting the best of him. “Really? Care to share?”</p><p>Tubbo pulled the present out from behind his back, and Tommy’s face went white. </p><p>
  <em>He didn’t. He fuckin’ didn’t-</em>
</p><p>“Tubbo,” he said slowly, the low tone quickly making his friend nervous.</p><p>“Yes…?”</p><p>“You have no idea, no fuckin’ clue what you’ve just done-“</p><p>Beside him, there was a gasp of utter delight, one that promised nothing but the utmost pain and misery for Tommy’s future.</p><p>“Tommy, he got you a new hat!”</p><p>It was true. In Tubbo’s hands was a new captain’s hat, this one a rich brown with small golden embellishments, accented by scarlet stitching around the edges. It was a thing of beauty, really.</p><p>Tommy hated it. </p><p>“He’s never gonna let me take it off!” he groaned in despair, letting his fall into his hands. “I don’t mind the title, but the look- it doesn’t match my <em>brand</em> Tubbo, you don’t understand-“</p><p>He felt the bed shift as Ranboo scrambled off of it, quietly resigning himself to his fate. Sure enough, the hat was soon placed over his head with reverence.</p><p>“Magnificent,” Ranboo whispered, stepping back to admire the look. Tubbo snickered.</p><p>“Okay, that’s enough,” Tommy interrupted, shooting to his feet. “Bedtime for annoying children.”</p><p>“Awe man-”</p><p>A few minutes later, Ranboo had been successfully forced into bed, a kiss placed lovingly on his forehead. Tubbo had been given a mound of blankets until they could make him a proper bed, and he was currently passed out on the floor, probably worn out by all the emotional shit from earlier. <em>Understandable</em>.</p><p>Tommy crept out of the cabin, making his way over to the mess at the front of the ship. The cleanup was methodical, mechanical, and he reveled in it, using the time to finally slow down and attempt to process all that had happened in the past few days.</p><p>He had watched Ranboo get kidnapped. He had faced everyone in his past, his abuser, and come out victorious. He had almost had to witness Ranboo’s death. He had gotten his best friend back.</p><p>What a rollercoaster.</p><p>Tommy popped the last lid back onto the barrels with a sigh. It had been one hell of a long week, that’s for damn sure. </p><p>He was going to have nightmares about the day before for weeks, probably. It would be a while before he felt comfortable letting Ran out of his sight when docked, too. But it was alright because Ranboo was safe, and Tommy had Tubbo now.</p><p>They’d help him get through it, just like they always did.</p><p>Tommy climbed the stairs to the upper deck, taking a moment to lean on the wheel. It was a calm night, only a slight wind, which he was grateful for. The idea of trying to tie down the sails right now was extremely unappealing. He tipped his head up, peering between a criss-cross of ropes up into the vast expanse above.</p><p>Tiny pinpricks of light winked back at him, the stars bright diamonds set in the rich navy velvet of the universe. Despite a whole year spent out on the open water, the uninterrupted sky was a sight he’d never gotten sick of. He doubt he ever would.</p><p>A soft padding bare of feet on planks pulled his attention away from the sky above. There was a muffled thump, and a familiar weight leaned itself against his right leg.</p><p>“You’re supposed to be sleeping, little man.” Tommy murmured, taking a hand off the wheel and burying it in the fluffy hair beside him.</p><p>He felt Ranboo shrug. “It’s not my fault Tubbo snores.”</p><p>Tommy couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle at that one. Kid had a point.</p><p>“Tubs is a noisy sleeper, I’ll give you that.”</p><p>Ranboo didn’t respond, staying silent in the way that meant he wanted to ask something but couldn’t bring himself to do it. </p><p>“Just fuckin’ spit it out, Ran, your silence is so loud it’s painful.”</p><p>The kid smacked at his foot. “It’s nothing! I just-”</p><p>“You just what?”</p><p>“I was thinking about Tubbo and everyone else in that castle and-“ Tommy’s hand fell out of Ranboo’s hair as the kid craned his neck to look up at him. “Are you really gonna go back there?”</p><p>“To the SMP?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Tommy hummed, turning the wheel a bit. “I think so, bud. I did promise Big Q, after all. Don’t want them to think ‘m a liar.”</p><p>“But you are a liar-“</p><p>Tommy playfully smacked the back of his head. “Silence, child.” Ranboo laughed. Tommy turned back to the wheel, staring off into nothing. He sighed. “I don’t know when, but…” he trailed off. “I want to fix things, you know? Eventually. Those fuckers don’t deserve me or you, but I can’t just- <em>not</em> go back.”</p><p>“I guess,” Ranboo muttered, glaring holes in the floor, no doubt planning all sorts of protective measures for whenever “eventually” was. </p><p>Tommy stifled a laugh. <em>This lovable dumbass.</em></p><p>“Of course, you’ll have to come with,” Tommy said casually. Ranboo perked up, giving up on trying to hole the boat with the power of his eyes alone. “Couldn’t exactly leave you unsupervised, and there’s no way in hell Tubbo is gonna be in charge. You two an’ Birdthany would probably sink Clem while I was gone.”</p><p>Ranboo gasped in offense. “Would not!”</p><p>“Would too.”</p><p>“No way!”</p><p>“As the Captain and the adult, I say yes.”</p><p>“Nuh uh-“</p><p>The bickering carried on, curses and soft laughter washing over the deck of the ship, mingling with the wash of waves against the hull. It was a calm night, with few large waves, and Tommy barely had to put effort into steering. The soft glow of the new lanterns swept away the darkness, and with a start, Tommy realized that this was the most at peace he had been in a long time.</p><p>He was safe. Ran was safe.</p><p>He even had his best friend back, safe and sound asleep.</p><p>They were home.</p><p>Beside him, Ranboo yawned, slumping a bit further into him. Speaking of sleep-</p><p>Tommy nudged him, getting a sluggish jerk in response as the kid tried to wake himself back up. “I think it’s time for a certain child to go to bed, hm?”</p><p>“But I’m not- tired…“ the kid’s useless protest was cut off by another massive yawn.</p><p>“Uh huh. Sure, buddy.” </p><p>“It’s true,” Ranboo murmured sleepily. “I’ve never been more awake in my life.”</p><p>“You are so full of shit, Ran.”</p><p>Ranboo just shook his head, pressing his face into Tommy’s leg, apparently deeming it a good enough pillow for the night.</p><p><em>Clingy idiot,</em> Tommy thought, smile on his face.</p><p>He reached out and locked the wheel in place, trying not to move his legs and disturb the kid. With the wheel secure, Tommy gently bent down and scooped Ranboo up, propping the kid’s head against his shoulder. There was a sleepy grumble of protest at the movement, then nothing. Ran may be nearly as tall as him– (Illegal. That had to be fuckin’ illegal) but he was also the hybrid equivalent of a walking spaghetti noodle, and therefore easy to carry.</p><p>“Let’s get you to bed, yeah?” he whispered, hoisting Ran a little higher and carefully starting his way down the steps to the main deck. He shouldered open the door, stepping over where Tubbo was sprawled on the ground in a tangle of blankets. True to the kid’s word, Tubs was snoring up a storm, completely dead to the world. Tommy gave him a little nudge with his foot on the way past, snickering when the sound only got louder.</p><p>He made it over to the bed, carefully setting Ranboo down and uncurling the claws that had become latched onto his shirt. Tommy then went about gathering blankets, tucking the kid in. He also snatched the wayward pillow, retiring it to its right place. Once finished, he sat down next to Ranboo, leaning up against the wall of the ship, back to playing with Ran’s hair. </p><p>
  <em>It was really fluffy, okay? Sue him.</em>
</p><p>Ranboo shifted closer, burying his face in Tommy’s side. Tubbo snored on.</p><p>With his free hand, Tommy dug into his pocket, pulling out Big Q’s communicator, transferred there this morning. He turned it over in his hand for a while, staring at it and nothing at the same time. With a sigh, he pulled himself out of the stupor, reaching over and setting the communicator on the nearby table, right next to his new hat.</p><p>It sat there, glinting in the low light of the cabin’s lamps. A quiet promise. A soft reminder that there would be an eventually, that he wasn’t quite done with the SMP and its inhabitants just quite yet.</p><p>Tubbo let out a particularly loud snort, and Tommy had to jam a hand over his mouth to hide his laughter or risk waking the kid up.</p><p>He settled for grinning like a maniac to himself instead.</p><p> </p><p>Sure, there would be an eventually.</p><p>There would be a future for him.</p><p>But that future had Tubbo in it. It had Ranboo. </p><p>It had open waves and sunny skies, rain streaming down foggy window panes and the soft glow of <em>Clem</em>’s lanterns.  It had chests full of treasure and the excitement of a new discovery, racing through the streets as stupid drunks stumbled after them, adrenaline pumping. It had laughter in the middle of the night and plenty of hugs, the feeling of safety and not a second to feel lonely.</p><p>And you know what?</p><p>Tommy was looking forward to it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Tommy has his son, he's got his best friend, and a promising future ahead of them all. That's a happy ending in my book.</p><p>But seriously, I'm a sad to see this end. I've had the time of my life interacting with all of you, you've been so kind, supportive, and absolutely fucking hilarious. Just- thanks. For the kudos and comments and fan art (Did I mention I've gotten fan art for this work? I did! It's freaking insane!), and for literally just everything. You guys are the best.</p><p>Thanks for reading everyone! I'll see you around, don't be a stranger :)</p><p>Until next time, my dudes *salutes*</p><p> </p><p>P.S. Go read Rubyfrappuccino's fic inspired by this one. It's a unique take on FatherInnit, and some really neat writing. Plus Ruby is just a cool person in general, so. Go give it some love.</p>
        </blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30837203">-A silent restart-</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubyfrappuccino/pseuds/Rubyfrappuccino">Rubyfrappuccino (rubyfrappuccino)</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
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